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Unless there’s a sudden alteration, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is expected to be presented before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court today.

Sources reveal that Emefiele will appear in court along with Sa’adatu Yaro, purportedly a CBN employee, and a company named April1616 Investment Ltd.

Emefiele faces a renewed 20-count indictment filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice. On Tuesday, the government sought to retract the previous two-count charge that was presented against Emefiele in Lagos.

In the new charge, the suspended CBN governor and the other defendants are alleged to have committed conspiracy and procurement fraud, among other offenses. He is also accused of providing unlawful benefits to his associates, including Yaro, who is identified as a director at April 1616, amounting to N6.9 billion.

The indictment lists several items procured illicitly by the defendants, including vehicles acquired between 2018 and 2020. These include 84 Toyota Hilux vans, 10 armored Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Land Cruisers, and one Toyota Avalon. Excerpts from the charge read as follows:

“You, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele (male, adult), Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro (female, adult), and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019, did conspire amongst yourselves to misuse the authority of Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele in his capacity as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, conferring undue benefits on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, an employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8, costing N73,800,000 only, to April 1616 Investment Ltd.”

*That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele (male, adult) sometime in 2018  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.

That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, sometime in 2018 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.

That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, sometime in 2018 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, 500,000 and thereby committed an offence.

The suspended CBN governor was further accused of conferring corrupt advantage on Yaro by allegedly awarding contracts for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9m to April1616 Investment Ltd in 2019; two Toyota Hilux (Shell specification) vehicles at the cost of N44.2 million sometime in 2020, and one Toyota Land Cruiser VXR valued at N96 million in 2020.

Emefiele was also accused of awarding a contract for the supply of another Toyota Land Cruiser V8 for N77.050 million to the third defendant in 2018.

Yaro is accused of fraudulently acquiring property for getting a contract from the CBN for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vans at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed a punishable offence.”