By Olugbenga Ige

The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has refuted claims that he opened 593 foreign bank accounts.

Emefiele stated this in a statement on Sunday titled, “Re; Emefiele, other stole billions, illegally kept Nigeria’s funds in foreign banks” in response to the publication of the report of the Private Investigator into the affairs of the CBN, Jim Obazee.

In the leaked report, Obazee claimed that Emefiele opened 593 accounts in different parts of the world and bought three commercial banks in the country.

But according to the statement, Emefiele said he is not involved in the opening of the foreign accounts and he does not have knowledge of their openings.

The former CBN Governor asserted that fixed deposits in those foreign accounts are definitely outside his knowledge, adding that the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the apex bank.

Emefiele, therefore, demanded a thorough and transparent investigation of the alleged frauds and has asked lawyers to immediately commence a legal process to clear my name from the defamatory statements contained in the report.

He said: “The final issue that I will like to respond to is the issue of the 593 accounts which were purportedly opened in different parts of the world. I state categorically that I am not involved in the opening of these accounts and I do not have knowledge of their openings. The fixed deposits in those foreign accounts are definitely outside my knowledge.

“However, let me state clearly, that the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the CBN.

“I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken on this matter and have demanded a thorough and transparent investigation of all these alleged frauds.

“Meanwhile, I have instructed my lawyers to immediately commence the legal process to clear my name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the publications.”