The names of several well-known Nigerians who allegedly accepted bribes and favour from the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, currently in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), have purportedly been released.
Emefiele has reportedly been “cooperating with investigators” and exposing how he provided money to powerful individuals like traditional rulers, army generals, judges, and clerics, according to DSS sources who spoke with our correspondent
President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele in addition to Abdulrasheed Bawa, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), due to claims of corruption and abuse of power.
Both men are being questioned by the DSS while they are being held in detention.
Emefiele also accused Bawa of being involved in a scheme concerning the redesign of the Naira, Nigeria’s currency, which resulted in lack of cash and shortage of Naira notes nationwide.
According to the DSS sources, Emefiele was revealing important details and naming key collaborators in the mismanagement of Nigeria’s top bank.
The source was quoted as saying, “As per Emefiele, he is cooperating with investigators and revealing a lot. Emefiele corrupted and bribed almost every major traditional ruler, army generals, some judges and clerics.
“Almost all the CBN directors are also being quizzed and they too are cooperating.”
Tinubu defeated Emefiele in the party primaries while they were competing for the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s presidential nomination in 2023.
Former president Muhammadu Buhari, who announced new designs for the N200, N500, and N1,000 Naira notes in 2022, also appointed him CBN governor for nine years during his tenure.
However, Emefiele and the former attorney-general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, allegedly went to Bawa to urge that the Naira be redesigned to stop possible money laundering during the 2023 election, which they feared would be facilitated by Tinubu’s substantial cash reserves.
A source that spoke with newsmen said, “Emefiele who is currently cooling his feet in the cell of the DSS is the reason why the EFCC chairman has been detained overnight. Emefiele who is cooperating with the DSS claimed that Bawa was the one who raised a memo to former President Muhammadu Buhari, asking that the Naira should be redesigned to stem money laundering during the 2023 election.
“Bawa confronted him that he (Emefiele) and the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Malami were the ones that came to him to raise the memo because they suspected Tinubu had warehouses stuffed with naira notes.”
