Babatunji Wusu –
Godwin Emefiele, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday to the allegations that he had approved the printing of ₦684.5 million at a rate of ₦18.96 billion.
Emefiele was charged with four counts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and appeared before Justice Maryann Anenih of the FCT High Court, Abuja.
The EFCC accused Emefiele of violating the law with the intention of harming the public when he carried out the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s naira swap policy, according to the four-count allegation brought against him.
Emefiele was also charged by the anti-graft agency with illegally authorizing the removal of N124.8 billion from the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
But he entered a not guilty plea to the accusations.
The former governor of CBN is now facing three counts, following his arraignment on Wednesday.
Emefiele was brought before Justice Hamza Muazu on November 17, 2023, and entered a not guilty plea to a six-count accusation of procurement fraud.
Additionally, he was charged with misusing his position of authority by authorizing a deal for the purchase of 43 cars between 2018 and 2020 for a total of N1.2 billion.
The former banker and a man named Henry Omoile were charged by the EFCC on April 8, 2024, for allegedly committing a $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud before Judge Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
He entered a not guilty plea to the case as well.
On behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the prosecutor for the EFFC, filed the fresh charge on April 2, 2024, together with eight other attorneys.
“STATEMENT OF OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990” is what counts one through four of the charge state.
“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”
COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.
COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”
COUNT 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”
