The Federal Government will arraign suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and his associates before Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Thursday for N6.9 billion procurement fraud.
Emefiele will be charged with 20 counts of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and conferring corrupt favors on his colleagues, together with a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April1616 Investment Limited.
The controversial central bank governor, who has been detained since his suspension from office on June 9, 2023, was accused of bestowing corrupt benefits on Yaro, a director of April 1616 Investment Ltd.
Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act of 2000 prohibits the offence.
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.’’
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, the three accused persons purchased a fleet of over 98 exotic vehicles and armoured buses worth approximately N6.9 billion.
Between 2018 and 2020, 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, ten armored Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers, and one Toyota Avalon car were purchased.
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.’’
The Federal Government further charged Emefiele with conspiracy to confer a corrupt advantage on the second defendant, a violation of Sections 26 (c) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and a punishable offense under Section 19 of the same Act.
“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.
Emefiele was also accused of giving Yaro a fraudulent benefit by awarding her business, April1616 Investment Ltd., a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon for N99.9m in 2019.
In 2018, the suspended governor was also accused of issuing a contract to the third defendant for the provision of another Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N77.050m.
The ex-CBN governor was said to have conspired with Yaro to give the CBN employee fraudulent benefits by giving her a contract for the delivery of two Toyota Hilux Shell standard vehicles for N44.2m sometime in 2020.
Emefiele was also accused of awarding Yaro and her firm another contract in 2020 for the procurement of one Toyota Landcruiser VXR worth N96 million.
Yaro was also charged with fraudulent acquisition of property after obtaining a contract from the CBN for the delivery of 47 Toyota Hilux cars at a cost of N1,085, 700,000, committing a criminal offense.
Other counts read, “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 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.’’
Count 11, “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 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 armoured buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,00 and thereby committed an offence.’’
The CBN Director of Procurement, Stanley Alvan, the CBN Head of Procurement, Mike Agboro, Tahir Jafar, David Usman, and “any other witnesses to be supplied later in the additional proof of evidence” were listed as witnesses against the defendants.
