TheEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC declaring Margaret Emefiele, wife of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Godwin Emefiele, and three others, wanted for money laundering.
Mrs Emefiele, Mr Eric Odoh, Anita Omoile and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, were declared wanted on Friday night for allegedly conspiring with the former CBN Governor “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.”
Details of their alleged money laundering offences were revealed by the EFCC in a mugshot portrait of the four suspects late Friday night.
An EFCC document entitled “Arrests and Recoveries,” revealed that the former CBN Governor, Emefiele, is being prosecuted by the EFCC for ₦ 1.8bn and $6.2m fraud.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has for the third time amended the criminal charges it filed against Emefiele.
In the latest amended charge taken before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Thursday, the EFCC accused Emefiele of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to illegally obtain $6.2m.
Furthermore, Emefiele was accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his wife, Omoile Margret, and brother In-law, Omoile Macombo, by allegedly awarding a contract for the renovation of a portion of the CBN Governor’s residence in Lagos to the tune of N99.8m.
The EFCC said Emefiele’s alleged action was a violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The amended charge sheet contains a total of 20 counts against Emefiele.
The judge adjourned till Friday for Emefiele to take his plea on the amended charges.
In the original charge filed against him in August 2023, Emefiele was accused of perpetrating procurement fraud to the tune of N6.5bn.