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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele on Wednesday for approving the printing of N684.5m at the rate of N18.96bn.

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The arraignment was originally scheduled for April 30, 2024, but was rescheduled following the agreement of the court and the parties.

In the four-count charge filed against him, the EFCC alleged that Emefiele disobeyed the direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

Channels Television gathered that the former CBN governor will be arraigned on these counts before Justice Maryann Anenih of the FCT High Court, Abuja.

This arraignment will bring to three the number of charges pending against the former CBN governor.

On Nov. 17, 2023, Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Hamza Muazu on a six-count charge of procurement fraud to which he pleaded not guilty.

He was also accused of abusing his office by approving a contract for the acquisition of 43 vehicles totalling N1.2 billion from 2018 to 2020.

On April 8, 2024, the EFCC also arraigned the former banker alongside one Henry Omoile before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for an alleged $4.5bn and N2.8bn fraud.

He’s also pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The new charge, dated April 2, 2024, was filed by the EFFC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) alongside eight other lawyers acting on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Counts one to four of the charge, reads, “STATEMENT OF OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.

“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

COUNT 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

©: Channels TV

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Pandemonium struck after a 31-year-old man, identified as Ajayi Nicholas, allegedly slumped and died inside a sex worker’s room at New Kutunku community in Gwagwalada Council Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

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Pandemonium struck after a 31-year-old man, identified as Ajayi Nicholas, allegedly slumped and died inside a sex worker’s room at New Kutunku community in Gwagwalada Council Area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A resident of New Kutunku, Josiah Gabriel, told Ekwutosblog that the incident happened last Saturday around 5pm when the deceased allegedly checked into a hotel room in the area.

According to him, the man allegedly slumped when he was about to leave the room and the woman rushed to alert the manager of the hotel.

He said the hotel manager identified the deceased and rushed to report the incident to his relations, who are residing within the area.

Gabriel said the deceased was taken to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Meanwhile, the corpse was taken away and deposited at the morgue for autopsy by policemen who arrived the hotel, while the lady in question was detained by the police.

 

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US Congress approves sanctions on Nigeria over Christian k!llings

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The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has given President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the widespread k!lling of Christians in the country.

 

The decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, March 12. during which lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.

 

The committee also cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed that Nigerians accounted for 90 per cent of all Christians killed worldwide each year.

 

The report documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, a staggering 55,910 people were killed, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.

 

During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith, who highlighted the severity of the crisis, pointed to testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, as a viable witness.

He said: “One of our distinguished witnesses today—Bishop Wilfred Anagbe—travelled a long distance to be with us, and his testimony is both compelling and disturbing.

disturbing.

“Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal and vandalise, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from elected officials. None of them have been arrested or brought to justice.”

 

“Make no mistake – these attacks are religiously motivated,” the report stated, adding: “Denying this reality contradicts the overwhelming evidence we have seen with our own eyes. This ‘religious cleansing’ must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

The congressional panel strongly criticised the Nigerian government for failing to address religiously motivated violence, despite constitutional protections for religious freedom.

Expressing concern that Nigeria’s judicial system had been weaponised to suppress Christian communities, the lawmakers cited cases where blasphemy laws have been used to target religious minorities.

 

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Court Orders Arrest Of VeryDarkMan Over Mercy Chinwo’s Suit

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Mercy Chinwo and VDM (right).
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Responding to the bench warrant, the blogger’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, said the singer is only interested in media trial.

The Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of blogger Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for “criminal defamation” of the reputation of gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.

The magistrate ordered the Nigeria Police Force together with other law enforcement agencies to arrest VeryDarkMan and bring him to court to answer the allegations levelled against him.

Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna issued the bench warrant on Thursday, March 13, 2025, when VeryDarkMan failed to appear before the magistrate following a court summons on March 5, 2025, for him to do so.

Though VeryDarkMan’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, appealed to the magistrate to rethink the bench warrant and that he would personally produce his client in court, Magistrate Iyanna rejected the appeal and insisted that VeryDarkMan be produced in court by security agencies.

When contacted, Adeyanju told Channels Television that a bench warrant was issued against his client.

“Yes, a bench warrant has been issued against him for failure to show up in court.

“They are just interested in media trial over the matter. They are not interested in prosecuting the matter,” Adeyanju said.

The bench warrant stemmed from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of involvement in a contractual dispute and the purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

In support of her claims, Chinwo furnished the court with documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to substantiate that VDM’s allegations were not only entirely false but damning and injurious to her public image and reputation.

The complainant’s lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, Chinwo said the alleged actions of the defendant are contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

Mercy Chinwo and VDM (right).

Recall that Chinwo’s counsel also dragged VDM before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking N1.1bn damages against the blogger.

The lawyer sought an order compelling VDM to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for all allegedly false and defamatory statements made against Chinwo and her brand.

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