ALLEGED N6.9 BILLION PROCUREMENT FRAUD: FG TO ARRAIGN EMEFIELE, ALLIES ON THURSDAY
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Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and his accomplices will be put on trial by the federal government on Thursday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja for N6.9 billion in procurement fraud.
Emefiele will be charged with 20 counts of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and providing corrupt benefits to his accomplices, together with a female CBN employee named Sa’adatu Yaro and her business, April1616 Investment Limited.
The troubled head of the top bank, who has been detained since he was removed from office on June 9, 2023, was charged with giving Yaro, a director of April 1616 Investment Ltd., corrupt favors.
The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses 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.’’
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 t
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.
84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armored Mercedes-Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers, and one Toyota Avalon were among the vehicles purchased between 2018 and 2020.
he 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.’’
Emefiele was additionally charged by the Federal Government with conspiring to give the second defendant a corrupt advantage in violation of Sections 26(c) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000, which is punishable 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 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 provision of another 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.
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.’’
Listed as witnesses against the defendants were the CBN Director of Procurement, Stanley Alvan; CBN Head of Procurement, Mike Agboro, Tahir Jafar, David Usman and “any other witnesses to be supplied later in the additional proof of evidence.’’
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