The Ohanaeze Youths Movement has made a fervent appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and put an end to what they term as the continuous and purportedly unlawful detention of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The socio-cultural group urged the government to adhere to the subsisting court order mandating his release.
In a joint statement signed by its leaders, Obe Agu and Nwabueze Obi, the group emphasized that recent developments during the trial at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja had apparently exonerated Emefiele from allegations regarding the award of N1.2 billion vehicle supply contracts during his tenure at the CBN.
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The witnesses, notably from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reportedly testified in favor of Emefiele, suggesting that he was unjustly persecuted rather than prosecuted, as stated by the group.
According to the statement, the first prosecution witness admitted that Emefiele had no ownership or shares in the company, April1616 Investment Limited, which was awarded the contract in question.
The witness further elaborated on the company’s shareholders and the absence of any connections to the former CBN governor.
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Additionally, Remigious Ugwu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, revealed before the court the various monetary transactions made by the CBN into April1616 Investment Limited’s account, emphasizing the absence of any links to Emefiele.
Another witness, Oluwole Owoeye, Deputy Director of Banking Services at CBN, clarified the jurisdiction of his committee in awarding contracts, indicating that Emefiele was not implicated in the vetting process.
The Ohanaeze Youths Movement concluded that these testimonies presented substantial evidence indicating Emefiele’s unjust persecution and called for his immediate release. They stressed the need for a fair and diligent prosecution process to address the matter comprehensively.
