The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC, has reportedly arrested a former member of the House of Representatives, Gudaji Kazaure, for allegedly receiving N70 million from the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ,CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
Mr. Kazaure, who represented Roni, Gwiwa and Yankwashi Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, initially obtained a court order stoping the EFCC from arresting him, however, he was taken into custody on Wednesday shortly after a High Court in Kano vacated the restraining order.
The former lawmaker who is currently held at the Kano office of the EFCC and may be transferred to Abuja to face charges was said to have received N20 million in two tranches for Sallah ram from Mr Emefiele through an emissary named Mr Eric.
“Mr Kazaure received N20m in two tranches through Mr Emefiele’s emissary named Mr Eric to buy ‘Sallah Rams’,” a source at the commission said.
The source further disclosed that Mr Kazaure later received another N50 million from Mr Emefiele as a “donation” following a fire incident at his residence.
“Mr Kazaure subsequently received the sum of N50m as ‘donation’ from Mr Emefiele, following a fire incident at the former lawmaker’s residence,” the source added.
In December 2022, Mr Kazaure accused Mr Emefiele of corruption, alleging that N89.1 trillion in Stamp Duty charges had gone missing under the CBN governor’s watch.
He also claimed that he was being deliberately denied the opportunity to present a preliminary report of a presidential committee set up by then-President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the alleged missing funds.
However, the presidency, through the then-presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, dismissed Mr Kazaure’s allegations and said, “The said committee had since been dissolved.”
