Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), appeared before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Thursday, August 17, regarding an alleged N6.9 billion procurement scam.
The second defendant, who is alleged to be ill, was not present at his arraignment, which caused it to be postponed.
While Sa’adatu Yaro, a female CBN employee who is the second defendant, was not present in court, Emefiele, the first defendant, was.
The matter was postponed to August 23, 2023, by the presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, in response to a request for delay.
Along with Yaro and her business, April1616 Investment Limited, Emefiele will be charged with 20 counts of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and giving his friends unfair advantages.
Emefiele is accused of giving Yaro, a director at April 1616 Investment Ltd., corrupt advantages.
The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000’s Section 19 is violated by the crime.
The section read, “Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.’’
The three accused people were accused of purchasing a fleet of over 98 exotic cars and armored buses valued at approximately N6.9 billion, according to the charges signed by the Federal Ministry of Justice’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Nkiru Jones-Nebo, and eight other ministry officials.
Emefiele was accused of giving Yaro a corrupt advantage by giving her company, April1616 Investment Ltd., a contract in 2019 to deliver one Toyota Avalon for N99.9 million.
The suspended governor was charged with giving the third defendant a contract in 2018 for the supply of a Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N77.050 million.
According to reports, the ex-CBN governor and Yaro planned to give the CBN employee corrupt privileges by giving her a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell-specified trucks at a cost of N44.2 million sometime in 2020.
Yaro and her company were also accused of receiving a second contract from Emefiele for the 2020 purchase of a Toyota Landcruiser VXR valued at N96 million.
Yaro was also charged with fraudulent property acquisition after receiving a contract from the CBN to deliver 47 Toyota Hilux cars for N1,085, 700,000 and allegedly committing a crime.
Count one read;
“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court 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.Statement of the offence: Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.’’
“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, female, adult, and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court 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,” the charge stated.
See photos of Emefiele in court below:
