Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former Central Bank Governor, is set to be released from the detention of the Department of State Services (DSS) after his plea bargain with the Tinubu’s administration has been concluded, SaharaReporters has learned.
According to a report by SaharaReporters the non-prosecution plea bargain for Emefiele was being premised upon the former governor’s willingness to return N50 billion which he had corruptly amassed.
The publication also claims that the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, has signed the non-prosecution plea bargain and it is waiting for Tinubu’s approval.
Emefiele was reported by SaharaReporters in August to have faced 20 counts of conspiracy and procurement fraud leveled against him by the Nigerian government. He had been brought to court on August 17, 2023, under tight security.
“The exclusive deal has been finalized awaiting Tinubu’s order. Tinubu is expected back in Nigeria this weekend after a medical visit to France.
The DSS traced N72 billion to a series of accounts that Emefiele had planned to use for his Presidential run. Also, $ 70 million he hid with a couple who specialized in helping him to do round-tripping was discovered,” a top source revealed to SaharaReporters on Friday.
“The federal investigators have traced the ownership of Polaris bank to Emefiele. As well as several other banks he used people to set up,” the source revealed further.
SaharaReporters had reported again that the couple, Aminu and Saadatu Yaro, were arrested by the DSS on July 12, in connection with investigations into Emefiele’s infractions.
Yaro, with his wife, was described as the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos and Chairman of the Council of Chiefs and was arrested in the early hours of 12 July in their home in Abuja.
ALSO READ Kano-Lagos, Port Harcourt-Aba Rail Services To Commence By December – Nigerian Railway CorporationThe arrest of the couple had concerned investigations into a case involving Emefiele — which bothered on forex differential fraud.
SaharaReporters had in August reported how the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed against the DSS and the AGF at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by two brothers of Emefiele was withdrawn.
Justice Emmanuel Okpe, the court’s vacation judge had struck out the suit after the court’s decision to discontinue the case by the applicants through their lawyer.
SaharaReporters had reported that George Emefiele and Okanta Emefiele, the suspended CBN governor’s siblings, had filed separate ex-parte motions at the court seeking an order from the court to enforce their fundamental rights.
It had also been reported that the trial of Emefiele was stalled at the High Court of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following his plan to enter into plea bargaining to get soft-landing.
SaharaReporters had learned from lawyers involved in the case that Emefiele opted to enter into plea bargaining with the prosecution team.
“The matter is not coming up; they are finding another way to resolve the matter and give him soft-landing,” one of the lawyers had said.“They are moving to negotiate plea bargaining.”
