Nigeria has requested assistance from Interpol in order to capture three individuals who are allegedly responsible for a theft of $6.2 million from the central bank. It has been reported that forged signatures, including former President Muhammadu Buhari’s, were used to syphon off the funds.
Authorities believe that the suspects and Godwin Emefiele, the former head of Nigeria’s central bank, conspired together. While out on bail, Emefiele, who is already on trial for 20 charges, including receiving stolen funds illegally, claims his innocence.
Emefiele, according to the prosecution, illegally approved the money’s extraction from the central bank vault. Emefiele fiercely refutes these accusations, characterising them as untrue attempts to damage his standing.
The trial of Emefiele represents a major step in President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s fight against corruption, which got underway in May of last year.
The state-owned News Agency of Nigeria has named Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Ocheme, a former employee of the central bank, as the alleged accomplices. According to the agency, the suspects are thought to have fled Nigeria, which is why the authorities have turned to Interpol for assistance in apprehending and bringing them back.
Regarding the accusations made against them, none of the three suspects have responded. A few hours after Boss Mustapha, a top official in the former President Buhari’s administration, gave testimony during Emefiele’s trial, the government issued an order late on Tuesday for their arrest.
