Ex-Nigerian President's Sign Forged To Steal $6 Million From Central Bank

Nigeria is seeking the International Criminal Police Organisation's (Interpol's) help to arrest three suspects who allegedly stole $6.2 million from the central bank, using the forged signature of of former President Muhammadu Buhari. According to the BBC, the funds were withdrawn in cash in January last year, a few months before Mr Buhari's term ended. Authorities believe that the suspects conspired with Nigeria's former central bank chief Godwin Emefiele, who is already on trial on 20 charges, including illegally receiving the $6.2 million. 

Mr Emefiele is the most high-profile former official to be charged with corruption since President Bola Tinubu took office in May. Although he has denied all the charges and is currently out on bail, authorities allege that Mr Emefiele unlawfully authorised the release of the money from the central bank vault, claiming that the money was requested by the then secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. 

Mr Emefiele's alleged accomplices have been named as Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Ocheme, a former central bank employee, the BBC reported, citing the state-owned News Agency of Nigeria. 

The government ordered their arrest on Tuesday, hours after Mr Mustapha testified in Mr Emefiele's trial. Mr Mustapha told the court in the capital, Abuja, that neither he nor Mr Buhari had given their signature to approve the withdrawal of $6.2 million. 

"Looking at the signature, it is a faint attempt at reproducing [former] President Buhari's signature," Mr Mustapha told the court. When shown the document used to withdraw the funds, Mr Mustapha said it "did not emanate from the office of the president". 

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Prosecutors believe that Mr Emefiele falsified the documents in question, which requested the central bank to issue the money so that Mr Buhari could use them to pay foreign election observers. But in December, Mr Emefiele described the allegations as "barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda". He called for a "thorough and transparent investigation".

The prosecutors believe that the three suspects have now left Nigeria. Therefore, authorities are seeking Interpol's help with their arrest and repatriation. 

Notably, Mr Emefiele was appointed as central bank governor in 2014 by then-President Goodluck Jonathan, with Mr Buhari reappointing him in 2019. He held the post until Mr Tinubu took office.