Emefiele ‘Returns’ To Nigeria But Yet To Resume At CBN

Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has reportedly returned to the country but is yet to resume work.

Reports by Premium Times quoted a source in Emefiele camp as saying he returned on Wednesday to the country.

However a source in the CBN confirmed to THE WHISTLER that Emefiele has indeed returned to the country.

This medium confirmed that the former presidential aspirant has however not returned to work.

The apex bank’s boss left the country late 2022 with president Muhammadu Buhari on official assignment but did not return to the country following reported bid by the Department of State Service, DSS, to arrest him on allegations of terrorism financing and others.

The Nigerian secret police had unsuccessfully tried to enforce his arrest through court orders but failed.

Emefiele has left the country for several weeks following the investigation of several allegations against him, and a court application that Emefiele should be arrested for “acts of financing terrorism, fraudulent activities and economic crimes of national security dimension.”

The DSS filed the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 at the court on 7 December 2022 as obtained by this paper.

Premium Times quoted a source saying Emefiele requested two weeks’ leave from the president which was granted.

According to the source, the leave expired Tuesday forcing his return to the country as against previous online reports that Emefiele was seeking asylum in the UK.

“His holidays finished on Tuesday so he has to report to work on Wednesday,” the source told the paper.

The source further revealed that Emefiele “is trying to leave within the next few days on the pretence of attending the annual World Economic Forum.”

However, attempts to confirm the development with the spokesperson of the CBN Osita Nwanisobi, was unsuccessful as he did not respond to a text message sent to his telephone line as at press time.