*Seeks FG’s prosecution of Emefiele, CBN Management for incitement, culpable homicide
A legal luminary and human rights activist, Me Femi Falana (SAN), has demanded the immediate prosecution of the suspended Governor Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele and the entire management of CBN for mopping N3.5trillion from customers nationwide but fraudulently disbursed only N402billion to commercial banks.
Falana is also asking the Federal Government to prosecute Emefiele and the entire management of CBN for incitement and culpable homicide, having lied to Nigerians that sufficient cash was distributed to banks to replace N3.5trillion mopped up from customers.
The legal icon is further asking the CBN to rebuild the bank buildings that were destroyed and pay compensation to the families of those who were killed as a result of the incitement of members of the public.
Falana stated this in a statement he personally singed on Sunday and made available to TheIdeal News.
Falana further stated that in January 2023, the CBN, under the watch of Emefiele, claimed that it had supplied the commercial banks in the country with enough cash in line with its currency redesign policy.
He added that the apex bank purportedly directed security agencies to arrest and prosecute bank officials who were accused of sabotaging the new currency policy.
Falana then said, “Based on the statement, Nigerians trooped to the banks to collect cash. As the cash was insufficient, customers became angry.
“The mass anger over the cash crunch provoked customers who burnt bank buildings and destroyed Automated Teller Machines in some states.
“The violence, paralysed social and economic activities, and claimed not less than five lives while many others were injured.
“But for the Supreme Court, which extended the deadline for the withdrawal of the old Naira notes up until December 31, 2023, the cash crunch would have made life more unbearable for the Nigerian people.”
Falana further disclosed that the development promoted him to invoke the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, asking the CBN to provide the details of the actual amount made available to the commercial banks.
Falana’s FOI letter to the CBN was dated February 16, 2023 while the apex bank did not reply his letter until September 13 (about seven months after).
The CBN’s letter was signed on behalf of its Director/ Secretary to the Board, Mr Aminu a Mohammed.
In its belated response, the CBN also provided the details of the disbursement of the new naira notes to the banks, saying that it only released N402billion to banks during the turbulent period of naira swap policy.
But Falana stated that the infamous action of Emefiele was fraudulent on the grounds that CBN mopped N3.5trillion from customers while only N402billion was disbursed to the banks.
The Senior Advocate further said that the suspended CBN Governor lied when he claimed that enough new naira notes had been disbursed whereas what he made available to the banks were not sufficient.
The statement reads in part, “ Convinced that the suspended CBN Governor, Mr. Emefiele, had lied and deceived the Nigerian people, we requested information about the actual amount made available to each of the commercial banks.
In its belated response to our request, the CBN has now confirmed that it issued redesigned currency notes of N402 billion to the banks.
“Having misled Nigerians to believe that sufficient cash was distributed to commercial banks to replace the sum of N3.5 trillion mopped up from customers, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the entire management of the CBN ought to be prosecuted for incitement and culpable homicide.
“In addition, the CBN should rebuild the bank buildings that were destroyed and pay compensation to the families of those who were killed as a result of the incitement of members of the public.”
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