Former Nigerian central bank chief arraigned and remanded in prison for alleged fraud

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been charged with procurement fraud. The court remanded Godwin Emefiele in prison until it rules on his bail application. Court documents presented on Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, alleged that Emefiele used his position as the bank’s governor to “confer a corrupt advantage” on another member of staff by awarding contracts to a company with links to that staff member, thereby breaching Nigeria’s procurement laws. Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charges which could land him in jail for at least five years. He was suspended and later removed from office shortly after President Bola Tinubu took office in May.