Agbor Stakeholders Protest Continuous Detention, Propaganda against

Precious Ugwuzor 

Agbor Stakeholders Forum (ASF) has decried the continuous detention and alleged propaganda against former Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, despite court judgement granting him bail.

In a press statement made available to the media by Kanene Kachikwu for 

ASF, the group said: “We have watched with alarm, the seeming intention of the Federal Government  under the charge of President Bola Tinubu, to hunt down and destroy our son, Mr Godwin Emefiele by any means possible.

“Recall that we, his kinfolks and stakeholders in his Agbor homestead have had cause to cry out last year after he was detained for over six months without bail.

“Though he was finally granted bail, we are moved to cry out once more in view of the relentless propaganda and media assault the Federal Government has unleashed on Mr Emefiele in the last couple of weeks. 

“We are worried that since the beginning of this administration,  one man has been subjected to the investigation of the Department of State Service (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and a Special Financial  Investigator, Mr Jim Obazee, yet no charges against him has been able to stand in the face of the court.

“As we chronicled in our first appeal, our brother has been charged with over half a dozen offences and all of them have failed in different courts. 

“The DSS first accused him of financing terrorism. After a thorough search of all his residences,  all they got was a little gun, more like a toy gun. 

“Then the EFCC took over and combed through all his financial records. They went to press that N7.1 trillion was missing. This was to later turn to N1.2 billion official vehicles procurement irregularity allegedly perpetrated by Emefiele and a female colleague. This too didn’t stand in the court of law.

“Most recently, the EFCC claimed it is probing forex transactions of the CBN spanning the last nine years (2014 – 2023).”

The group added, “Here’s a sample of the calumny and propaganda against Emefiele that has been put out in the public for a probe that has not been carried out: “The EFCC source said: “The EFCC  is investigating over 85 entities, which includes companies and individuals….

“But it should be noted that our investigation is comprehensive, it is deeper and more encompassing, and absolutely independent of the CBN investigator, Obazee’s report. 

“The charges against the former CBN governor will most likely be amended as there have been more discoveries from the forex probe.”

“This is typical of the lies and deceit in the various so-called probes of Emefiele. Questions to be asked are: does the EFCC have capacity and and personnel to probe nine years of daily forex transactions?

“Why is the EFCC probe different from Special Investigator, Obazee probe.

Finally,  Obazee told the world in its leaked report that Emefiele had interests in three bank necessitating the takeover of the banks. But when the bank’s management was changed a few days ago, different reasons were adduced.”

The forum further went on to state that according to the CBN, the infractions of the three banks (Union, Keystone and Polaris banks) range from, “regulatory noncompliance, corporate governance failure, disregarding the conditions under which their licences were granted, and involvement in activities that pose a threat to financial stability, among others”.

The statement added, “in all of this, the CBN didn’t give specific details of what makes up infringement and noncompliance. 

“Our point and also our grouse, is that these probes, investigations and reports therefrom are all politically motivated attempts to ‘destroy’ our brother for his alleged role in former President Buhari’s naira redesign policy.

“We make bold to say that all these investigations will turn out fir good as they have shown Emefiele as a very decent man who can still stand after investigations by the DSS,  EFCC and a Special Investigator. Yet no serious offence has been brought against him.

“In closing,  we make bold to say that hardly anyone in government can survive this kind of scrutiny without being in jail already.

“In the light of this,  we therefore consider the pursuit of Mr Godwin Emefiele, a successful and thoroughbred banker as a political vendetta and witch-hunt and an attempt to destroy him. 

This is Operation Destroy Emefiele. 

We once again call on president Tinubu to call of this charade and let an innocent man be.”