Inside details of terrorism charges SSS filed against Emefiele

TThe Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Sorehas funded “unknown armed men” and members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the State Security Service (SSS) stated in a court document recently obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The document provides, for the first time, the missing details of the terrorism financing charges brought by the SSS against Mr. Emefiele last December.

IPOB is a separatist organization that calls for the secession of five Igbo-dominated states in South-Eastern Nigeria and part of neighboring states as the independent nation of Biafra.

The group blamed for violent acts in the southeast region in recent years has been declared a terrorist organization and banned by the court until September 2017.

The Nigerian media, including PREMUM TIMES, reported in December that the SSS’ failed bid to obtain an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja for the arrest of Mr. Emefiele over wide-ranging allegations, including the financing of terrorism.

The Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, after hearing the SSS legal team, refused to grant Mr. Emefile’s request for an order.

The judge dismissed the application in a ruling delivered on December 9, citing violations of the procedures adopted by the SSS in the application.

The Nigerian media, including PREMIUM TIMES, only learned of the decision 11 days after it was delivered by the court.

But the report did not elaborate on the allegations the agency had leveled against Mr Emefiele.

Eight weeks after the court gave its decision, PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained the SSS court filing which provides a surprising dimension of the agency’s allegations against the CBN governor.

In a series of serious charges, the SSS accused him of sabotaging the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, financing terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, and committing other economic crimes with the effect of undermining Nigeria’s national security.

More specifically, the agency also accused Mr. Emefiele of mismanaging the Nigeria Social Investment Program (NISRAL) and the Anchor Borrower Scheme.

Call on hold

A a team of four lawyers from the SSS legal department filed a case against Mr. Emefiele on December 7.

But contrary to previous reports suggesting that the application for an order for the arrest of Mr. Emefiele, it is actually asking for permission to detain Mr. Emefile for 60 days to complete the active investigation of the alleged atrocities.

The application was filed as an ex parte motion, meaning it was not served on Mr. Emefile.

This was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an SSS official, Umar Salihu, which summarized the details of the investigation into serious crimes allegedly committed by Mr. Emefiele.

The deponent said “there is reasonable suspicion that the respondent (Mr. Emefiele) is involved in the financing of terrorism, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism, Economic crimes of national security dimension and to undermine the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He said the agency should apply to the court “for an order that the petitioner may detain the respondent for sixty days, pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation…”

On the need for the court to issue the order, he said that Mr. Emefiele “is a man of fortune and could easily evade arrest and interfere with ongoing investigations if he is released on bail.”

Citing “reliable intelligence”, the deponent stated some specific allegations that the agency is investigating Mr. Emefiele.

The allegations contained in the application have no specifics or clues as to what motivated the CBN governor to sponsor IPOB and other terrorist activities.

IPOB, terrorism financing

meIn terms of the most heinous allegations, the SSS accused Mr. Emefiele of financing terrorism, unknown gunmen terrorizing the South-East region, IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The SSS said Mr Emefiele financed them with resources collected for his failed presidential bid last year and the funds were diverted from government coffers.

Mr. Emefiele, as the CBN governor, controversial bid for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year. Images of branded vehicles and other campaign materials surfaced online during the party’s primary election.

He also approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order asserting his right to jostle for the APC ticket. But the court on May 9 not willing Mr. Emefiele’s prayer was granted.

Nigeria’s spy agency said in a filing in December that Mr. Emefiele “provided multiple vehicles and spent funds for his failed presidential ambitions.”

He added that “the funds and vehicles were channeled to the financing of Unknown Gunmen, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and elements of IPOB, a banned organization.”

In addition, the agency said Mr. Emefiele, “on several occasions in actions prejudicial to the security of the Nigerian state,” was involved in “a criminal conspiracy to divert government resources to suspicious acts of financing terrorism”.

He said the actions of the CBN governor were “intended to subvert and sabotage” the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

But as weighty as the allegations, coming from the government’s flagship intelligence agency, Mr. Buhari continued to hold one-on-one meetings with Mr. Emefiele since December. This raises the question of whether the president ignored the “reliable intelligence” the SSS claimed about the country’s top bankers.

The SSS, which is at the forefront of government efforts to stamp out separatist activities across the country, held IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu in custody after linking Mr Emefiele with funding the banned group in December.

Neither the Presidency, the SSS nor Mr. Emefiele have commented on the allegations.

Money laundering, fraud, mismanagement of interventionist funds

TThe SSS also accused Mr. Emefiele of “fraud, money laundering, tripping and giving financial benefits to himself and others.”

Mr. Emefiele was also involved in the mismanagement of various government intervention funds under his control, according to the SSS.

Funds belonging to the Social Investment Program (NISRAL) and the Anchor Borrower Scheme are among the SSS that accused Mr. Emefiele of mismanagement. The two agencies are interventionist schemes to boost food production and support farmers.

The SSS also accused Mr Emefiele of mismanaging “other key economic sectors”.

‘Emefiele Syndicate’

In another startling allegation, the SSS said it is on the trail of members of a criminal syndicate Mr Emefiele is alleged to be part of.

It said “investigations are still ongoing on a wider scale as other members of the syndicate chain need to be identified and arrested in order to be successfully prosecuted.”

The agency accused Mr. Emefiele of aiding and abetting terrorism, and said he used proxies from alleged syndicates “to commit illegal economic crimes in the national security dimension with a strong threat to the security of the country.”

Should the court reject the SSS application

men rejected the SSS application on December 9, 2022, but the judge, Mr. Tsoho, pointed out flaws in the procedure followed by the agency to seek an order for Mr. Emefiele to be detained for 60 days.

He said the request for secret police should be preceded by the arrest of a suspect that does not require a court order.

“This is not the situation here, because Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor was shown on television, even late at night, having an audience with the President of Nigeria,” the judge said. “It therefore seems that the applicant intends to use the court as a cover for an unacceptable irregular procedure.”

The judge said that “this type of application (by the SSS) must have evidence of the approval of the respondent’s boss (Emefiele) (President Buhari), that the move is legal,” because of his “sensitive position” “Occupying… is one of the main drivers of the nation’s economy. “

“I decline to grant this application ex parte,” the judge said.

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the SSS allegations against Mr. Emefiele robbed Nigerian investors of confidence in the economy.

“No one wants to do business with your country when the head of the Central Bank is a terrorism suspect,” said a senior lawyer in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES,

Also, before Mr. Emefiele, Lamido Sanusi, the former Emir of Kano, was accused of financing terrorism by the Goodluck Jonathan-led regime in 2014, and removed from office, Mr. Falana recalled.

Also commending the judge for rejecting what he called, “an inappropriate application by the SSS to arrest the CBN governor,” Olisa Agbakoba, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), challenged the secret police to prosecute Mr. Emefiele if “there” is evidence.”

CBN governors and their problems

Mr Emefiele’s foray into politics last year, Bid for the APC presidential ticket while still in office as CBN governor, attracted wide condemnation among Nigerians.

PREMIUM TIMES Editorial, one of the credible forces that first exposed Mr. Emefiele’s secret presidential bid, asking him to publicly decline or immediately resign from his post to achieve his political dreams.

The CBN is still facing criticism for putting Nigerians in distress related to the scarcity of the newly introduced naira notes. Nigerians, groaning over the lack of new naira notes, have asked the CBN governor to reverse the policy.

The redesigned 200, 500 and 1000 notes are hard to find in the Automated Teller Machines – the only place where you can withdraw money.

But Mr Emefiele only extended the 10-day deadline from January 31 to February 10, which many say is not enough to address the lack of new records.

The presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, in a veiled reference to monetary policy, condemned the scarcity of new bank notes, adding that it is a ploy to scuttle the chance to win the election.

Appearing before the House of Representatives, Mr. Emefiele explained that the old naira notes will be accepted by banks even after the February 10 deadline.

A professor of law, Joshua Alobo, sued the CBN for an extension of the deadline.

The apex bank on October 26, 2022, announced the introduction of redesigned 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes into the financial system.

But access to new notes remains a herculean task as people crowd ATMs in a bid to withdraw money.