Fear and uncertainty have gripped the upper echelons of the Central Bank of Nigeria as a team appointed to support the Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, appointed by President Bola Tinubu to scrutinize the activities of the apex bank and related entities, has initiated intelligence gathering, according to reports from Daily Trust.
The background to this development traces back to the dismissal and subsequent arrest of Godwin Emiefele, after which President Tinubu appointed Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the operations of the CBN and associated organizations.
Tinubu’s decision, as articulated in a letter dated July 28, was based on the fundamental objective outlined in Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution, furthering his administration’s anti-corruption drive.
Obazee, formerly the CEO of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) until 2017, was granted immediate authority and was instructed to report directly to the President.
Subsequently, on August 18, the Special Investigator wrote to the Inspector General of Police, requesting the deployment of four senior police officers to his office to facilitate the smooth commencement and execution of his assignment.
In a response dated September 6 and signed on behalf of the IGP by CP Abaniwonda S. Olufemi, approval for the deployment was granted. The letter, titled ‘Deployment of Police Personnel,’ listed the officers as DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, CSP Celestine Odo, CSP Segun Aderoju, and DSP Tijani A. Bako.
Sources have indicated that the preliminary intelligence gathered by the investigative team, led by DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, is already causing unease among top management personnel at the CBN and the Nigerian Incentive Risk-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
The investigators have reportedly focused on NIRSAL and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, both of which have been subjects of past investigations. President Tinubu recently ordered the recovery of all funds allocated to these agricultural programs.
Previously, Daily Trust had investigated multiple corruption allegations within NIRSAL, which led to the removal of its former Managing Director, Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed, by former President Muhammadu Buhari in December of the previous year.
Furthermore, the investigation is poised to delve into how Anchor Borrowers Funds were maintained as fixed deposits by individuals closely connected to the embattled CBN governor.
An insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that some individuals involved in these fixed deposits, whose identities have not been disclosed, are currently in a state of panic. This includes an aide to the former CBN governor who reportedly operated a total of 61 bank accounts, comprising 44 fixed deposit accounts and 2 treasury bills accounts.
In addition to investigating the N5.6 billion wheat project scandal in Kano and Jigawa states, sources have also indicated that the investigators will scrutinize the alleged allocation of approximately 600,000 Naira monthly for the upkeep of the former MD’s dogs.
Notably, the Inspector General of Police opted for DCP Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo to head the Special Investigator’s support team as part of his broader agenda to revamp the Nigeria Police Force and contribute to President Tinubu’s anti-corruption and anti-economic sabotage efforts. DCP Eloho, known for his extensive investigative experience in the areas of economic, financial, and cybercrime, is seen as a key figure in this mission.
