The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sued former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele for allegedly stealing and unlawfully acquiring 753 housing units located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokongoma District, Abuja.
The EFCC accused Emefiele of conspiring with Eric Ocheme, who is reportedly on the run, to acquire the properties in August 2021.
The commission also alleged that Emefiele held possession of billions of naira in proxy accounts while serving as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor.
The EFCC alleged that between January and December 2019, Emefiele had N167 million in a proxy account with Zenith Bank in Abuja, which sum was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
The commission also alleged that between January and December 2020, Emefiele and his co-conspirator held N1.23 billion in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account, which sum was reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
One of the charges reads: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE and ERIC OCHEME (AT LARGE) between January and December 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly had under control the total sum of N2,945,331,050 which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained. ”
The EFCC had earlier obtained a court order to seize the entire estate and handed it over to the Federal Government.
Emefiele however approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, praying that it set aside the judgment granting the government full control of the estate.
