Politics

₦6.9 billion fraud trial of Nigeria’s ex-central bank governor, Emefiele stalled. Here’s why

Published

1 year ago

August 17, 2023

The suspended governor of Nigeria’s central bank, Godwin Emefiele was arraigned over N6.9 billion in procurement fraud on Thursday at a court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

His trial, however, stalled due to the absence of the second defendant, a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro, said to be indisposed. He is being charged with 20 counts of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and providing corrupt benefits to his accomplices, together with Yaro and her business, April 1616 Investment Limited.

The matter was postponed to August 23, 2023, by the presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, in response to a request for delay.

Shortly after the postponement, the suspended apex bank chief was seen hiding from cameras and journalists in a video that has viral on social media.

The offences are said to have violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 which states that “any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.’’

Emefiele has been detained by the Directorate of State Services (DSS) since his detention on June 9, following President Bola Tinubu’s suspension of him.

Emefiele had earlier been slammed with a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and re-arrested by Nigeria’s secret police at the court premises despite a ruling granting him bail.

Meanwhile, another court in Lagos on the same day struck out the “illegal possession of firearm charge” after an application by the Ministry of Justice to withdraw it.

Related Topics:CBN Featured Godwin Emefiele Nigeria

Click to comment

Politics

Mali: 7 Russian mercenaries killed

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

An al Qaeda offshoot in North Africa has claimed responsibility for the attack in central Mali, killing at least seven mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner private military contractor company.

Wagner earlier lost a battle in July with mostly Tuareg rebels and Islamists close to Mali’s Algerian border, exposing the perils faced by mercenaries used by military juntas in the Sahel area of West Africa.

The separatists and strong branches of Al Qaeda and Islamic State, which have taken over large areas of the Sahel over the past 12 years, are difficult for Mali and its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger to control.

The al Qaeda offshoot JNIM claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack, according to a statement from SITE Intelligence Group, which keeps an eye on extremist activity in the area. According to SITE, JNIM captured several weapons and killed seven Russian Wagner mercenaries.

Following an attack, the bodies of at least five white males wearing army fatigues were seen laying near a military truck in a video obtained by Reuters. The validity of the footage could not be confirmed by Reuters.

SITE Intelligence posted images allegedly from JNIM that showed many crates of weapons and ammo together with the dead and bloodied bodies of troops.

Although two local officials acknowledged the incident, a Malian army source claimed to have seen seven dead bodies, including Russian fighters. Five Wagner warriors were slain, according to one of them.

At least six Russians have been murdered in the attack, which was carried out by Katiba Macina, a division of JNIM, according to a consultant working on security in the area.

The expert referred to the Russians as Africa Corps warriors, a paramilitary group under Kremlin leadership that has taken Wagner’s position in Africa throughout the previous 12 months.

Mali has previously said that Russian servicemen trainers are assisting local troops with Russian-purchased weaponry rather than mercenaries.

Politics

Mauritius’ Prime Minister to double as Finance Minister

Published

2 days ago

November 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In an effort to maintain a tight eye on the economy, Mauritius’ Prime Minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who took office this month following a resounding election victory, said on Friday that he would retain the position of finance minister for himself.

“We are doing an audit of the economy to see to what extent the outgoing government has destroyed it,” Ramgoolam told reporters in the capital Port Louis after he presided over the swearing-in of other ministers.

Ten years after he stepped down as prime minister, the seasoned politician returned to the position when his Alliance du Changement (ADC) alliance won 60 of the 62 seats in the national legislature.

The 77-year-old Ramgoolam said earlier this week that he would be auditing governmental finances. Before this, he was prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014.

Ramgoolam started a campaign in 2006 to streamline taxes and reduce bureaucracy to diversify the $10 billion economy beyond exports of sugar, textiles, and tourism.

Since then, the 1.3 million-person nation, which positions itself as a bridge between Africa and Asia, has developed into a major offshore financial hub and has been rated by the World Bank as the easiest location to do business in Africa regularly.