Godwin Emefiele, Margaret Emefiele
By Victory Oghene
When the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Margaret, the wife of former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, wanted, the anti graft agency did not give details of her alleged crime. It only said Margaret and three others, namely, Mr Eric Odoh, Anita Omoile and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, were declared wanted for money laundering and allegedly conspiring with the former CBN Governor “to convert huge sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and committed felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretences, and stealing, contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 287, and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State”
Similarly, it urged “those with information on Margaret’s whereabout to contact the nearest EFCC Command or the nearest police Station,.”
NATIONAL WAVES findings revealed that Margaret Emefiele may have been declared wanted on account of the contracts awarded to her company by her husband.
Margaret is said to be the brain behind Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company that was awarded contracts in CBN under the watch of Emefiele. One of Margaret’s brothers was also said to have benefitted from some contracts.
These were revealed by the Agboro Michael, an ICPC investigator while testifying in court.
He said “My Lord, the defendant (Emefiele) approved the payment of renovation of the CBN Governors’ residence at No 2. Global road, Ikoyi Lagos to a company named; Architekon Nigeria Limited where his wife and brother-in-law are both directors.
“Sometime in 2020, the defendant used his position as CBN Governor to confer on his wife and brother in-law corrupt advantage by awarding their company landscaping of the CBN governor’s residence in the sum of N39,46,000 (Thirty-Nine Million, Forty Six Thousand Naira.”
Mr Michael also stated that a contract to procure furniture items was also awarded to Mr Emefiele’s brother in-law in the sum of N97 million, as well as a contract to procure a power line at the same CBN governor’s residence at over N68 million (N68,568,740).
During cross-examination, defence counsel Matthew Burkaa, a SAN, questioned why it was only his client that was being prosecuted out of many whose signatures appeared on the memos.
In response, the witness said the defendant was on trial because he was the approving authority, while others only minuted on the documents to justify the process, and did not have the power to make such payments and approvals.
