A special investigation team appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its former governor, Godwin Emefiele, has questioned more than 20 individuals connected to the CBN, including top officials, directors, and drivers.
Among those interrogated were the four deputy governors of the CBN, along with several directors and drivers, including those who chauffeured high-ranking CBN officials. These individuals were questioned as part of the ongoing investigation into the CBN’s operations.
Sources also revealed that officials from other organizations, including the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), were summoned for questioning.
The investigation team recently visited the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL Plc) as part of their inquiry, although no arrests were reported during this visit.
Additionally, the Executive Secretary of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), Shuaib Ahmed, and his deputy, Iheanyi Anyahara, were invited to provide information related to the preparation of CBN audited financial statements from 2016 to 2022.
Sources indicated that some individuals summoned for questioning were detained overnight, either due to lengthy interrogations or the need to retrieve documents from their offices. The investigators aim to conduct thorough interviews and gather all relevant information in connection with their inquiry.
Furthermore, retired directors and even board members who have retired may also be invited for questioning if their involvement is pertinent to the investigation.
The investigation into the CBN is part of a broader anti-corruption effort initiated by President Tinubu. A parallel inquiry into the CBN’s activities is being carried out by the Department of State Services (DSS) under an inter-agency committee. However, the scope and reporting process of the DSS’s investigation remain unclear.
President Tinubu appointed Mr. Obaze, the founding Executive Secretary of the FRC, to lead the investigation into the CBN and related entities. This investigation is part of the government’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
