The socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Youths Movement, has issued a plea to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to intervene and put an end to what they describe as the continuous illegal detention of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The group emphasizes the importance of adhering to the subsisting court order mandating Emefiele’s release.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja recently commenced Emefiele’s trial, where three witnesses reportedly exonerated him of any wrongdoing in the award of N1.2 billion vehicle supply contracts by the CBN during his tenure. Ohanaeze Youths Movement, in a jointly signed statement by its leaders, Obe Agu and Nwabueze Obi, asserts that the witnesses’ exoneration indicates that Emefiele is being persecuted rather than prosecuted.
The statement further highlights key points from the trial, including the admission by the first prosecution witness, Samsideen Romanus, a top official of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), that Emefiele was not the owner or shareholder of April1616 Investment Limited, the company awarded the N1.2 billion contract. The second witness, Remigious Ugwu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, testified about the funds transferred by CBN to April1616 Investment Limited, confirming that Emefiele was not a signatory to the company’s bank account. The third witness, Oluwole Owoeye, a Deputy Director, Banking Services with CBN, clarified that his committee was not involved in vetting the bidding process for the contracts in question.
Ohanaeze Youths Movement contends that these testimonies provide clear evidence that Emefiele is a victim of witch-hunting and calls for his immediate release. The group also advocates for a fair and diligent prosecution process to uphold justice.
