Jim Obazee, special investigator on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related entities, says Godwin Emefiele, the regulator’s ex-governor, illegally kept billions of naira in 593 bank accounts in the United States, United Kingdom, and China.
Obazee also said the Emefiele lodged £543, 482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks alone without the approval of the apex bank’s board of directors and the investment committee.
Submitting his final report, tagged, ‘Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable Offences) to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, Obazee said all the accounts have been traced.
“The former governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele invested Nigeria’s money without authorization in 593 foreign bank accounts in United States, China and United Kingdom, while he was in charge,” document reads.
“All the accounts where the billions were lodged have all been traced by the investigator.”
According to the special investigator, billions of naira were allegedly stolen by Emefiele and other officials from the CBN’s accounts including a “fraudulent cash withdrawal of $6.23 million” — about N2.9 billion at the then official exchange rate of N461 to a dollar.
He also accused Emefiele of manipulating the exchange rate and perpetrateing fraud in the e-Naira project of the CBN.
