The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has designated Margaret Emefiele, wife of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, and three others wanted for money laundering.
Mrs Emefiele, Mr Eric Odoh, Anita Omoile, and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, were declared wanted Friday night for allegedly conspiring with the former CBN Governor “to convert huge sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and committed felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretences, and stealing, contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 287, and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”
The EFCC published details about their alleged money laundering activities in a snapshot photo of the four suspects late Friday night.
The document stated, “Emefiele, Odoh, Mr and Mrs Omoile are wanted by the EFCC.” Eric Odoh, Margaret Emefiele, Anita Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile are wanted by the EFCC for economic and financial offenses. Any information on their whereabouts? Please contact the nearest EFCC command or police station.
Our source got an EFCC document titled “Arrests and Recoveries,” which stated that former CBN Governor Emefiele is being prosecuted by the EFCC for ₦1.8bn and $6.2m fraud.
Meanwhile, the federal government has revised Emefiele’s criminal charges for the third time.
In the most recent amended charge filed before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the EFCC accused Emefiele of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in order to illegally obtain $6.2 million.
According to the amended allegation marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele conspired with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now on the run, to get $6.2 million from the CBN on February 8, 2023, saying that it was demanded by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”
According to the EFCC, Emefiele said that the SGF asked the CBN to provide “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”
The EFCC stated that Emefiele made the claim knowing it was false, “and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
In the updated allegation, the anti-graft agency said that Emefiele faked a paper titled “Re: Presidential.directive on foreign election observers mission” dated January 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.
He claimed to have conspired with the fleeing Ocheme to commit the “illegal act, wit: forgery.”
Furthermore, Emefiele was accused of giving his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo, a corrupt advantage by reportedly awarding a contract for the refurbishment of a portion of the CBN Governor’s mansion in Lagos worth N99.8 million.
The anti-graft agency claimed that the contract for the restoration of the CBN Governor’s Lodge, located at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was awarded to a firm called Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, “wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders.”
The EFCC stated that Emefiele’s alleged actions violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The amended charge sheet includes a total of 20 counts against Emefiele.
The judge deferred Emefiele’s plea hearing on the amended charges to Friday.
Emefiele was originally charged in August 2023 with procurement fraud totaling N6.5 billion.
He was later charged alongside a female CBN employee named Sa’adatu Yaro and her company, April 1616 Investment.
The EFCC later revised the indictment, decreasing the number of counts to six, eliminating the names Yaro and April 1616 Investment, and lowering the amount of suspected procurement fraud to N1.2 billion.
Emefiele was arraigned on the second accusation on November 29, 2023, and pleaded not guilty.
Prior to the most recent change, the EFCC had already called three witnesses in its trial.
(Credit: Saturday PUNCH; Photo: Daily Post)