Tension as FG Reduces Charges Against Emefiele, Details Emerge

• The federal government has reduced its count of charges against the former governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele
• In the new charges in suit number CR/577/2023, Emefiele now face six count charges as against 20 that it was before
• Also, the former governor is now the only defendant, and the fraud allegation of N6.9bn has been reduced to N1.2bn

Legit.ng journalist Bada Yusuf is an accomplished politics and current affairs editor, boasting over seven years of experience in journalism and writing.

FCT, Abuja - The federal government has reportedly reduced the fraud charges it filed against Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to The Punch, the federal government has reduced the charges that were original 20 to six. The charges bordered on alleged procurement.

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FG reduces fraud case of N6.5bn against Emefiele

In the earlier charges, the government had claimed that the procurement fraud was about N6.5bn.

The federal government had first filed the charges against Emefiele in August.

Emefiele and one other female employee of the CBN, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her firm, April 1616 Investment, were charged together.

However, their arraignment before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has been stalled on two different occasions as the Department of State Services did not produce Emefiele before the court.

After he was released by the DSS, the embattled former CBN governor was immediately re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 27. The federal government then amended the charges against him.

Details of amended charges FG made against Emefiele

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The amended charge was filed in suit number CR/577/2023 on Wednesday, November 15, and still borders on procurement fraud.

The count is now six rather than 20, and the fraud's quantum has been reduced from N6.9bn to N1.2bn.

The former CBN governor is the only new defendant in the amended charge.

Forum raises alarm over alleged plans to re-arrest Emefiele

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu has been accused of backing the re-arrest of the suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, by the EFCC.

A forum, NPF, raised the alarm in a statement on Thursday, adding that the move was a threat to democratic principles.

According to the group, the government, security agencies and other stakeholders must protect the sanctity of the judiciary.

Source: Legit.ng