The wife of former Nigerian Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, Margaret Emefiele, and three other people have been listed as wanted for money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Anita Omoile and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, Mrs. Emefiele, Mr. Eric Odoh, and them were all listed as wanted on Friday night for allegedly plotting with the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria “to convert huge sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and committed felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretences, and stealing, contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 287, and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.”
The EFCC published information about the four suspects’ alleged money laundering offences and a mugshot of them late on Friday night.
The document read, “Emefiele, Odoh, Mr and Mrs Omoile, wanted by the EFCC. The EFCC is looking for Eric Odoh, Margaret Emefiele, Anita Omoile, and Jonathan Omoile as a quartet for offences involving financial and economic crimes. Any news on their whereabouts? Kindly get in touch with the closest EFCC Command or police station.The former governor of CBN, Emefiele, is being prosecuted by the EFCC for ₦ 1.8bn and $6.2m fraud, according to an EFCC document titled “Arrests and Recoveries,” which our correspondent previously exclusively obtained.
In the meantime, Emefiele’s criminal charges have been modified by the Federal Government for the third time.In the most recent amended charge presented to Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the EFCC charged Emefiele with pretending to be the Government of the Federation’s Secretary in order to obtain $6.2 million illegally.
Emefiele conspired with an Odoh Ocheme, who is currently fugitive, on February 8, 2023, to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, according to the amended charge designated CR/577/2023.
Emefiele claimed that the money had been requested by the SGF “via a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.
“Emefiele purportedly stated, as reported by the EFCC, that the SGF asked the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000.00 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”Emefiele made the claim knowing it was untrue, according to the EFCC, “and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
“The anti-graft agency claimed that Emefiele falsified a document titled “Re: Presidential.directive on foreign election observers mission” dated January 26, 2023, with reference number SGF.43/L.01/201, in January 2023, as per the amended charge.
He is reported to have assisted the escaping Ocheme in carrying out the “illegal act to wit: forgery.”Additionally, Emefiele was accused of awarding a N99.8 million contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s Lagos home, thereby providing corrupt advantages to his brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo, and his wife, Omoile Margret.A company called Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, “wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders,” was allegedly given the contract to renovate the CBN Governor’s lodge, which is situated at No. 2 Glover Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, according to the anti-graft agency.Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 was allegedly broken by Emefiele’s purported action, according to the EFCC.
There are a total of 20 counts against Emefiele in the updated charge sheet.In order to allow Emefiele to enter a plea regarding the revised charges, the judge postponed until Friday.
Emefiele was charged with procurement fraud totaling N6.5 billion in the initial complaint brought against him in August 2023.
He was then charged with a crime alongside Sa’adatu Yaro, a female employee of CBN, and April 1616 Investment, her business.Later, the EFCC changed the charge, dropping Yaro and April 1616 Investment from the list of defendants, cutting the number of counts to six, and lowering the total amount of the purported procurement fraud to N1.2 billion.
At his arraignment on November 29, 2023, Emefiele entered a not guilty plea to the second charge.With the latest amendment, the EFCC had called three witnesses thus far in its trial, which had opened sooner.