Margaret Emefiele, the wife of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, had been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged financial conspiracy.
The announcement comes as part of an ongoing investigation into the conversion of substantial sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Alongside Margaret Emefiele, the EFCC has also declared Eric Odoh, a CBN official, businesswoman Anita Omoile, and Bureau De Change operator Jonathan Omoile as wanted suspects. All four individuals are facing charges related to economic and financial crimes.
Margaret Emefiele reportedly went into hiding following her husband’s arrest and subsequent court charges.
The EFCC has released mugshots of the suspects on its official website and social media channels, urging the public to provide any information regarding their whereabouts.
The case adds another layer of complexity to the legal issues surrounding Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele’s legal woes began after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, 2023, which led to his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Lagos. Subsequently, he faced money laundering and fraud charges, with the EFCC taking custody of the case.
President Tinubu appointed Jim Obazee as the Special Investigator to scrutinize the operations of the apex bank during Emefiele’s tenure.
Among the allegations were claims that Emefiele had opened 593 foreign bank accounts without proper approvals, holding substantial funds in fixed deposits across the United Kingdom, the United States, and China.
Emefiele vehemently denied the accusations, labelling them as “satanic.” He asserted that he had obtained necessary approvals during his tenure and accused the private investigator of pursuing a biased agenda.
