Emefiele Sues Senate President, demands N1bn 

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, currently facing charges of fraud allegations by the Federal Government, has taken legal action against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, demanding N1 billion in damages for defamation.

In a notice dated February 19, 2024, Emefiele’s lawyer, Matthew Burkaa, criticised a statement attributed to Akpabio on February 18, 2024, where Akpabio allegedly remarked, “we don’t know what to charge Emefiele with.”

Emefiele’s legal team deemed Akpabio’s comment as “false, distorted, and clearly aimed at disparaging his character and indeed made in bad faith.”

Akpabio recently made some comments during a thanksgiving service in Rivers State, where he suggested that Emefiele had left the Nigerian economy in disarray, and the government was uncertain about the charges to level against him.

However, Burkaa argued that the Federal Government had preferred charges against Emefiele since August 14, 2023, and his client had pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

In his letter to Akpabio, Burkaa highlighted Akpabio’s involvement in the previous administration, stating, “you were a major player in the immediate Past Administration and worked closely with Our Client… witnessed the innovations he introduced in the banking sector and its impact on the economy whilst in office.”

However, Burkaa demanded an unreserved apology from Akpabio, along with the sum of One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000), as compensation for the alleged defamation.

Noting that failure to comply with this demand, Burkaa warned, would lead Emefiele to seek appropriate legal redress under Nigerian laws.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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