Former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is once again in the spotlight. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed eight new charges against him. These charges were submitted at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja. They focus on alleged misconduct and the illegal acquisition of properties.

753 housing units in Abuja

According to the EFCC, Emefiele allegedly acquired 753 housing units in Abuja. The estate is located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District. The commission claims he used proxy accounts and worked with a co-conspirator, Eric Ocheme, who is currently on the run.

The anti-graft agency further alleges that Emefiele held billions of naira across multiple bank accounts. For instance, in 2019, he allegedly maintained ₦167 million in a proxy account with Zenith Bank. In 2020, ₦1.23 billion was held in an account linked to Kelvito Integrated Services. That same account reportedly contained ₦2.9 billion in 2021 and ₦1.98 billion in 2022.

One of the charges stated, “You GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE and ERIC OCHEME (AT LARGE)… knowingly had under control the total sum of N2,945,331,050… which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.”

In addition, EFCC claims Emefiele stored ₦900 million and ₦600 million in separate accounts belonging to Ifedigo Integrated Services. These funds were also allegedly obtained through illegal means during his time as CBN governor.

Last week, a court order granted the EFCC permission to seize the entire 753-unit estate. In response, Emefiele filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. He is asking the court to reverse the forfeiture decision.

This case adds to the growing list of corruption allegations against top public officials. It also highlights ongoing efforts to tackle financial crimes in Nigeria’s public sector.

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