Emefiele, co-defendants set for arraignment today

Subject to any last-minute changes, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is set to appear before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court today.

It has been learned that Emefiele is scheduled to be arraigned alongside Sa’adatu Yaro (reportedly an employee of the CBN) and a firm known as April1616 Investment Ltd.

Emefiele is facing a new 20-count charge filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice. The government had previously sought to withdraw an earlier two-count charge under which Emefiele was arraigned in Lagos.

In this fresh charge, the suspended CBN chief and the co-defendants are accused of various offenses including conspiracy and procurement fraud.

He is also alleged to have provided corrupt benefits to his associates, including Yaro who is identified as a director in April 1616, amounting to N6.9 billion.

According to the charges, some of the items reportedly unlawfully procured by the defendants include vehicles purchased between 2018 and 2020. These include 84 Toyota Hilux vans, 10 armored Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Land Cruisers, and one Toyota Avalon.

Several counts in the charge