The Department of Public Prosecution at the Federal Ministry of Justice will likely arraign the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court today.
Emefiele is to be arraigned alongside an employee of the CBN, Sa’adatu Yaro, and a firm, known as April 1616 Investment Ltd.
Emefiele is to face a fresh 20-count charge filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice. The government had on Tuesday applied to withdraw an earlier two-count in which Emefiele was arraigned in Lagos.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos who presided over the matter will today rule on the FG application to discontinue the illegal possession of firearms matter.
In the new charge, the suspended CBN boss and the other defendants are accused of engaging in conspiracy and procurement fraud, among others
He is also accused of conferring corrupt advantages on his associates, including Yaro, said to be a director in April 1616, to the tune of N6.9 billion.
According to the charge, some of the items allegedly procured unlawfully by the defendants are vehicles bought between 2018 and 2020. They comprise 84 Toyota Hilux vans; 10 armored Mercedes Benz buses; three Toyota Land Cruisers and one Toyota Avalon. Some counts in the charge read:
“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele (male, adult), Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, (female, adult), and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019 did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd.
*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele (male, adult) sometime in 2018 did use your position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which she is a director, and thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, sometime in 2018 while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as a director in April 1616 Investment Ltd, in a contract awarded to the said company, for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed an offence.
*That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, sometime in 2018 while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as a director in April 1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, emanating from the CBN where you are employed, for the supply of 10 Mercedes Benz armored buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,000 and thereby committed an offence.
The suspended CBN governor was further accused of conferring corrupt advantage on Yaro by allegedly awarding contracts for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9m to April 1616 Investment Ltd in 2019; two Toyota Hilux (Shell specification) vehicles at the cost of N44.2 million sometime in 2020, and one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR valued at N96 million in 2020.
Emefiele was also accused of awarding a contract for the supply of another Toyota Land Cruiser V8 for N77.050 million to the third defendant in 2018.
Yaro is accused of fraudulently acquiring property for getting a contract from the CBN for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vans at the cost of N1, 085, 700,000 and thereby committed a punishable offence.”
