By Adenike Lawal
The legal troubles of embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Governor, Godwin Emefiele, have deepened as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), filed fresh charges against him over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of a multi-billion naira estate in Abuja.
In a new eight-count charge filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, the EFCC accused Emefiele of using proxies to unlawfully acquire a sprawling 753-unit residential estate located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma, in August 2021.
The estate sits on more than 150,000 square meters and has since been forfeited to the Federal Government by court order.
EFCC investigators allege that Emefiele, with the help of a fugitive associate, Eric Ocheme, concealed ownership of the estate through forged documents, including an “Irrevocable Power of Attorney” executed between MG Properties Limited and H & Y Business Global Limited in January 2021.
The anti-graft agency further claims that Emefiele laundered billions of naira through shell companies.
One such firm, Kelvito Integrated Services Ltd, allegedly received suspicious inflows totaling ₦6.2 billion between 2019 and 2022 in its Zenith Bank account: ₦1.23 billion in 2020, ₦2.94 billion in 2021, and ₦1.98 billion in 2022.
Another entity, Ifedigo Integrated Services, reportedly held ₦900 million and ₦600 million at various periods, sums the EFCC believes were proceeds of corrupt enrichment and abuse of office during Emefiele’s tenure at the apex bank.
The charges also include criminal breach of trust, money laundering, and forgery.
The EFCC says it will present 24 witnesses to testify and tender documents linking Emefiele to the fraudulent acquisition and suspicious transfers.
This fresh case adds to multiple ongoing prosecutions against the former CBN chief.
He is currently standing trial in Lagos over alleged abuse of the foreign exchange allocation system involving over $2 billion.
In Abuja, he is also being tried over his controversial naira redesign policy and other alleged financial crimes.
Despite mounting allegations, Emefiele has continued to deny any wrongdoing.
He has appealed the Abuja estate forfeiture and vowed to fight the charges in court.