Anti-corruption group cautions against hiding results of Emefiele’s trial, Missing N17.369trn.

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

The Federal Government is being strongly urged by the Citizens Participation Against Corruption Initiative to not overlook the trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

During a news conference on Sunday at the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Katsina State headquarters, the group voiced worries regarding the seriousness of the corruption accusations made against Emefiele and called for an unbiased and open inquiry.

The group’s executive director, Comrade Bishir Dauda, restated the concerning charges found in the “Obazee Report.”

According to the study, he was involved in unapproved policy implementations, financial irregularities totalling more than N17.369 trillion, and potential connections to the funding of terrorism.

They issued a warning against attempting to minimize the gravity of these accusations, pointing out that ignoring Emefiele’s trial would undermine public confidence in the battle against corruption and sustain a climate in which high-ranking officials can act without consequence.

Although the group applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the guts to lead what they called a “historic probe” of the fired CBN Governor, they urged his administration to show that it is committed to justice by upholding the rule of law and refusing to bow to pressure or manipulation based on political, religious, or tribal ties.

“As a civil society organization; we can’t keep silent or take a neutral stand in the face of this mind-boggling corruption scandal. We therefore, wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and other well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians, including development partners and the international community that the sacked governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank, ‘Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele must not get away with the monumental allegations of illegalities levelled against him, including cases that bother on treason, terrorism financing, breaching CBN Act, personal aggrandizement and illicit enrichment of cronies, stealing and outright plunder, uncovered by Jim Obazee, the special investigator,” the group declared.