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January 15, 2023
One of the sources noted that the secret police were on alert and on the lookout for Emefiele. According to the source, the DSS would arrest Emefiele regardless of his antics and the recent court ruling.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele has again said he cannot return to Nigeria yet because he is sick and undergoing treatment.
Last Friday, SaharaReporters reported that Emefiele was still abroad contrary to some online reports that the apex bank boss was back in Nigeria.
Sources dismissed the reports and exclusively told SaharaReporters that Emefiele was still abroad, afraid to set foot in Nigeria for fear of being arrested and detained by the secret police.
One of the sources noted that the secret police were on alert and on the lookout for Emefiele. According to the source, the DSS would arrest Emefiele regardless of his antics and the recent court ruling.
However, SaharaReporters learnt on Sunday that Emefiele has again informed the authorities that his return to Nigeria has been delayed because he is sick and undergoing treatment abroad.
According to sources who spoke to TheCable last week, Emefiele went on leave before Christmas with the knowledge of President Muhammadu Buhari and was expected to return to his desk when his leave ends on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.
Emefiele has not been in the country for several weeks following the investigation of several allegations against him, including corruption and terrorism financing.
However, it is not clear when Emefiele will return to the country following his latest message reiterating that he is sick and undergoing treatment.
“Emefiele has sent a message saying he is sick and undergoing treatment,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters on Sunday.
Similarly, Emefiele in December 2022 told the House of Representatives that he would be unable to appear before it due to a health challenge.
The CBN governor was expected to appear before the House to brief the lawmakers on the new cash withdrawal limit and naira redesign but he failed to show up despite multiple invitations.
The secret police, the Department of State Services had said its preliminary investigation revealed various acts of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities perpetrated by Emefiele. It also accused the apex bank governor of being involved in economic crimes of national security dimension.
But a Federal High Court in Maitama, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja recently issued an order restraining the DSS from arresting, detaining or questioning Emefiele.
Emefiele was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s entourage to the US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC between December 13 and 15, 2022.
While Buhari returned to Abuja a day after the summit, the CBN governor deliberately decided to delay his return to Nigeria. It was however learnt that Emefiele had moved to the UK.
“Emefiele is not back in Nigeria as reported by some platforms. DSS is still looking for him. DSS operatives are on alert.
“All the CBN directors have abandoned him except Kingsley Obiora and Aishah Ahmad. The report that he was back in Nigeria is false. He has nowhere to hide,” a source told SaharaReporters last week.
Obiora is the Deputy Governor in charge of Economic Policy at the CBN while Aishah Ahmad was appointed Deputy Governor on March 23, 2018. Prior to her appointment at the CBN, Aishah was Executive Director, Retail Banking at Diamond Bank PLC. In December 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari asked the Senate to confirm the nomination of Aishah for re-appointment as deputy governor of the CBN, along with Edward Adamu.
SaharaReporters had reported how the CBN boss perfected plans to cover up his corruption records in the last eight years.
Emefiele, who has been governor since 2014, is the first person to serve two terms at the head of Nigeria’s apex bank in nearly 20 years.
He was first appointed by then-President Goodluck Jonathan in June 2014, after Sarah Alade served out the term of the suspended Lamido Sanusi.
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters how Emefiele secretly sent the names of Aishah and Adamu, Deputy Governor, Corporate Services Directorate to President Buhari for renewal.
The move by Emefiele to nominate his stooges for re-appointment was part of his plans to cover his corruption records in the bank.
“Emefiele has secretly sent Aisha and Edward’s names for renewal months before time to stop the next government from appointing their own candidate and to allow them to cover his back,” a source in the bank had told SaharaReporters.
“He has paid the Villa cabals millions in dollars to get the renewals approved. Edward was that one on the audio SaharaReporters exclusively leaked.
“Aishah (Ahmad) is that deputy governor that Samaila Isa Funtua and his son brought.”
In contravention of the CBN act, in 2021, Emefiele joined the ruling All Progressives Congress.