The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended former House of Representatives member Gudaji Kazaure for allegedly receiving N70 million from Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Quoting a source at the commission, DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Kazaure was taken into custody on Wednesday, shortly after a Kano High Court lifted a restraining order that had previously protected him.
The news outlet further stated that the source revealed that Kazaure received N20 million in two separate instalments from Emefiele’s intermediary, identified as Mr Eric, purportedly for the purchase of “Sallah Rams”. Additionally, Kazaure is alleged to have received a further N50 million as a “donation” from Emefiele following a fire incident at his residence.
Currently, Kazaure is being held at the EFCC’s office in Kano and may be transferred to Abuja to face charges.
In December 2022, Kazaure accused the former CBN governor of corruption, alleging that N89.1 trillion in Stamp Duty charges was unaccounted for under Emefiele’s tenure. He also claimed he was being obstructed from presenting a preliminary report from a committee established by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the alleged withholding of stamp duty funds by the CBN.
However, the presidency, in a statement from then-presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, dismissed Kazaure’s accusations as unfounded, noting that the committee in question had since been dissolved.
