Former Governor of (CBN) Godwin Emefiele.
On Thursday night, the Department of State Security (DSS) transferred Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), thus marking the conclusion of the DSS’s involvement in his case.
Emefiele had been under DSS custody since June, following his suspension from office by President Bola Tinubu due to alleged misconduct.
Subsequently, he was directed to transfer his duties to Folashodun Shonubi, the Deputy Governor of the Operations Directorate at the central bank. According to an insider, Emefiele underwent an interrogation at the National Headquarters of the anti-corruption agency in Jabi, Abuja, on the following morning.
The source revealed that the former CBN governor is now facing a fresh investigation regarding alleged improprieties during his tenure as the apex bank’s chief.
“He is with the EFCC which has the mandate to investigate economic and financial crimes. The DSS does not have that mandate. That was why he was handed over to the EFCC. So, he’s here, undergoing interrogation,” the reporter said.
Additional information indicates that the anti-corruption agency might soon initiate new legal proceedings against Emefiele in a Lagos court.
On June 9, the DSS apprehended Emefiele and subsequently announced that they held the former CBN governor for “investigative purposes.” On July 25, he was brought before a federal high court in Lagos on a two-count charge related to “unlawful possession” of firearms and was granted bail in the amount of N20 million.
The two-count charge was subsequently dismissed on August 17 when the federal government withdrew it. However, a new 20-count charge was filed against him, alleging involvement in a conspiracy to commit procurement fraud, among other offenses. The arraignment has been delayed twice, and Emefiele reportedly offered a plea bargain to the government.
The proposed agreement stipulated Emefiele’s resignation as CBN governor and the return of certain assets. On September 22, the CBN officially confirmed Emefiele’s resignation after Olayemi Cardoso assumed the position of substantive governor at the apex bank.