Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has vehemently denied allegations made against him by a Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
Emefiele labeled the accusations as “satanic, baseless, defamatory, and false.”
In a statement released on Sunday, Emefiele expressed his intent to initiate legal proceedings to clear his name from the damaging claims contained in the report.
His legal representative, Maxwell Okpara, confirmed the authenticity of the statement, underscoring the seriousness of Emefiele’s response.
The investigator’s report, which allegedly accused Emefiele of various financial misconducts, including the opening of 593 foreign bank accounts without proper authorization, stirred controversy.
Notably, it claimed substantial amounts held in UK banks without proper approvals and questioned the legitimacy of the recent naira redesign.
Emefiele strongly refuted these allegations, asserting that he had complied with necessary protocols, including obtaining Presidential approval, and passing on necessary documents during the investigative process.
He particularly emphasized that the redesign of the naira had received explicit authorization from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Furthermore, Emefiele distanced himself from allegations of withdrawing $6.23 million from the CBN vault based on a falsified presidential directive.
He maintained his lack of knowledge and involvement, challenging the investigator to make public the purported documents and his statements during the inquiry.
Regarding the numerous foreign accounts allegedly opened, Emefiele categorically denied any involvement or knowledge of such activities, stressing that CBN departments held the authority for such operations within their legal mandates.
Emefiele concluded by reaffirming his commitment to a transparent investigation into the accusations while emphasizing his readiness to pursue legal action to refute the defamatory claims against him.
