The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought fresh charges against Godwin Emefiele, the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, accusing him of illicitly obtaining a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja and managing vast sums of naira through proxy accounts during his time in office.
The EFCC has filed an eight-count charge at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, as reported by Premium Times, claiming that Emefiele worked alongside an associate, Eric Ocheme (who is currently at large), to acquire the estate located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja. This property spans around 150,462.86 square metres and includes 753 housing units.
According to the EFCC, Emefiele and Ocheme completed this acquisition in August 2021. The agency further alleges that Emefiele laundered billions of naira through companies like Kelvito Integrated Services and Ifeadigo Integrated Services, using multiple Zenith Bank accounts believed to contain proceeds from illegal activities.
The EFCC’s allegations highlight that between 2019 and 2022, Emefiele held significant amounts in proxy accounts: ₦167 million in 2019, ₦1.23 billion in 2020, ₦2.94 billion in 2021, and ₦1.98 billion in 2022, all tied to Kelvito Integrated Services. Additionally, he is said to have held ₦900 million in an account associated with Ifeadigo Integrated Services.
The EFCC has already transferred the estate to the Federal Government following a court order for its forfeiture. Nonetheless, Emefiele is actively pursuing an appeal in the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge this judgment, seeking to regain control of the estate.
In November 2023, Emefiele was sent to Kuje Correctional Centre due to allegations of N1.6 billion procurement fraud, after being arraigned on a six-count charge in an FCT High Court.
Furthermore, on March 7, 2023, the ICIR reported that a forensic analyst confirmed in court that Emefiele had used forged documents to request a $6.2 million payment to foreign election observers. The analyst, Bamaiyi Meriga, testified that his forensic examination revealed clear evidence of forgery concerning the signature and seal of execution.
In a different case in April 2024, a Lagos State High Court granted Emefiele bail of N50 million for abuse of office and related offences, with Judge Rahmon Oshodi permitting bail with two sureties of the same amount. Emefiele continues to navigate various fraud-related cases in different courts.
