By John Ikani
Nigeria is currently in the process of securing ownership of two banks, which were reportedly acquired at a significant discount by the Former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.
The disclosure comes from a report by special investigator Jim Obazee, appointed by President Bola Tinubu to scrutinise activities of the apex bank under Emefiele.
Following Emefiele’s suspension and subsequent arrest on charges including fraud, President Tinubu initiated an investigation into the Central Bank’s operations, directing collaboration with security and anti-corruption agencies.
The inquiry sheds light on Emefiele’s alleged acquisition of Union Bank of Nigeria and Keystone Bank through proxies using “ill-gotten wealth” and “without evidence of payment,” as outlined in Obazee’s report.
The preliminary examination of the cases indicates that Keystone Bank was, in fact, “acquired for free.”
The report states, “Some persons were used as proxies with the connivance and assistance of Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the CBN to acquire” the two banks.
Despite being held in jail, Emefiele maintains his innocence, while his legal representatives have refrained from commenting on the investigation’s findings.
