How Emefiele was Arrested While Trying to Flee Nigeria through Land Border

New details have emerged regarding the arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to a report from SaharaReporters, the Department of State Services (DSS) apprehended Emefiele and subsequently transported him from Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Sources revealed that the embattled CBN governor was attempting to flee Nigeria through the land border in Lagos when the DSS intercepted him. “Emefiele was arrested in Lagos last night and has since been flown to Abuja by the DSS. He was caught while attempting to escape through the land border,” an authoritative insider disclosed.

Earlier reports from SaharaReporters had already informed readers about Emefiele’s suspension from office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the same day as his arrest. The suspension was stated to be linked to an ongoing investigation into his office and the planned reforms within the financial sector, as announced by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Furthermore, an account was given of how soldiers, assigned by the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), intervened and countermanded the DSS officials who had initially tried to arrest Emefiele at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The situation could have escalated into a potential shootout between the two security forces, had the DSS not stood down their officers. The soldiers had cordoned off the area upon the plane’s landing and escorted the CBN governor to his residence.

Back in February, SaharaReporters had already reported on court documents obtained from the DSS, which implicated Emefiele in funding “unknown gunmen” responsible for acts of terrorism in the Southeast region of Nigeria. The investigation conducted by the DSS had revealed that Emefiele had diverted public funds and used resources raised for his failed presidential bid in 2022 to support these groups. Additionally, there were allegations suggesting that he had intentions to meet with international terrorists in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the secret police stated that their preliminary investigation exposed various instances of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities, and economic crimes with national security implications involving Emefiele. These included mismanagement of the CBN subsidiary NISRAL, as well as the central bank’s Anchor Borrowers Program. The DSS accused Emefiele of engaging in fraudulent practices, money laundering, round-tripping, and conferring financial benefits upon himself and others.