.By METROWATCH Reporter
News report…
A section of the Nigerian media has been awash with reports that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had voluntarily returned N4 trillion to the Nigerian government to end his ongoing travails.
Emefiele’s former deputy, Tunde Lemo, was also reported to have returned another whopping sum of $500m to the coffers of the same Nigerian government as part deal to allow him breath.
These are no doubts, mind blowing claims that have been flying in the media that needed to be scrutinised to establish their veracity.
Origin of the story…
metrowatchxtra.com confirms that this report was published on an online News website, News Band, it gained traction on the social media.
It was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Jackson Ude, a journalist and the tweet, which has since gone viral, had, at the time of this report, recorded more than 800 likes and reposted by almost the same number of readers.
“Jim Osayande Obazee, a renowned forensic expert, appointed by President Bola Tinubu about five months ago to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and related entities, was reported to have recovered over N12 trillion looted mostly by members of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“The former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, allegedly returned N4 trillion, gave up ownership of six banks linked to him, while a Deputy Governor, Tunde Lemo, refunded $500 million. The Committee has also rejected several millions of dollars in bribe offers from former members of the Buhari’s Government,” Ude tweeted.
Our Check…
Checking the veracity of the tweet, metrowatchxtra.com contacted relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Finance.
But the Director Press, Federal Ministry of Finance, Philo Odosin, said the Ministry had no record of such.
“Just confirm from the source of the story where he got the story from,” she said.
Also, our reporter contacted Mr Lemo, who was enraged over the claim in the report and described it as a “tissue of lies.”
“There is no iota of truth in the publication,” he said in an initial response to the report.
His lawyers, Zest Partners, Abuja, in a letter dated November 22, 2023, to News Band, which published the false report, demanded a retraction within 24 hours, warning the website could face further action.
“It is our client’s express instruction that he did not at any time take any $500,000, 000 from the Nigerian Government warranting a refund. That he did not refund $500,000,000 or any amount to the federal government of Nigeria either through the Special Investigator of the federal government or any agent of the government or any person by whatever name called.
“Our client finds the statement defamatory and an attack on his personality to malign him in the eyes of well-meaning Nigerians and his friends outside Nigeria,” the letter stated.
Just the Lemos, the Emefiele’s has also described the report as false and an attempt to continue to malign the reputation of the top banker. Emefiele was Group Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc, before his appointment as CBN Governor in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The family said: “This is another lie. The same pattern of lies they have been writing about Godwin Emefiele to destroy his name and reputation. If you follow his persecution, you will clearly see that it is a case of pure witch-hunting and harassment of someone who served this country to the best of his ability. People know the truth. The world knows what is going on. His sin is the naira redesign policy, which former President, Muhammadu Buhari has said he approved to protect our elections from vote buying and fraud.
“Nigeria just passed a N2.1 trillion supplementary budget that is being funded by borrowing. Will the country need to borrow if it has such so-called refunded money?”, asked a family source.
The News Band, the news website that first published the false story and also Mr Ude could not be reached for their reactions as phone calls to their known number were not successful.
Result of the Fact-check…
The news reports going round in the social media spheres that Mr Godwin Emefiele returned N4 trillion to the Nigerian government is false.
Similarly, the news claiming that former CBN deputy Governor Tunde Lemo returned the sum of $500 million to the government is also false
