This was originally centered around alleged procurement fraud totaling N6.5 billion, in which the charges were first filed in August.

The charges, which initially included a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment, were amended following Emefiele’s release by the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequent re-arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 27.

The revised charge sheet, marked CR/577/2023, reveals that Emefiele is now the sole defendant, and the counts have been reduced to six. Additionally, the alleged procurement fraud amount has been decreased from N6.9 billion to N1.2 billion.

According to the amended charges, Emefiele is accused of unlawfully purchasing 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020, amounting to N1.2 billion. The charges include allegations of conferring corrupt advantages on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a CBN staff, by awarding contracts to April 1616 Investment Ltd., a company where Yaro is a director.

The charges specify instances of awarding contracts for the supply of Toyota Hilux and Avalon vehicles, implicating Emefiele in actions deemed contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”

In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, “a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”

He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April 1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73m.

The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued at N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April 1616 Investment Ltd.

The FG further accused the former CBN governor of also awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.

The case was scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, but it faced postponement due to the Nigeria Labour Congress strike.