The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed eight fresh charges against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, accusing him of unlawfully acquiring 753 housing units in Abuja and holding billions of naira in proxy accounts during his tenure.
According to court documents filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Emefiele allegedly conspired with Eric Ocheme, who is reportedly at large, to acquire the properties located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja in August 2021.
The anti-graft agency detailed several allegations of suspicious financial activities, including that between January and December 2019, Emefiele had N167 million in a proxy account with Zenith Bank in Abuja, which the EFCC claims was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
Proxy Accounts and Suspicious Transactions
The charges further allege that between January and December 2020, Emefiele and Ocheme held N1.23 billion in Kelvito Integrated Services' bank account. By 2022, this same account reportedly contained N1.98 billion, which prosecutors suspect was unlawfully obtained.
Additionally, the EFCC claims the former CBN Governor kept N900 million in Ifedigo Integrated Services' account (No. 1210750237) with Zenith Bank, as well as another N600 million in the same account, both sums allegedly obtained through unlawful means.
These fresh charges come after the EFCC had already secured a court order to seize the entire estate and transfer ownership to the federal government last week.
Legal Challenge
In response to the forfeiture order, Emefiele has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to overturn the judgment that granted the government full control of the 753 housing units in the Abuja estate.
The case represents another chapter in the ongoing legal troubles for the former CBN Governor, who has faced multiple investigations since leaving office. The EFCC's pursuit of these charges signals continued scrutiny of financial activities during Emefiele's tenure at the apex bank.
Court dates for the hearing of these new charges have not yet been announced as the legal battle continues to unfold.
