The National Security Adviser, NSA, has reportedly summoned Jim Obazee, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor, Godwin Emefiele.
This is following reports of alleged intimidation even when his assignment was officially over.
Top officials at the CBN and some commercial banks had alleged witch-hunt and undue intimidation by Obazee’s team, even after his mandate had since expired.
President Tinubu, in a letter dated July 28, 2023, had named Mr Obazee, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRC, as the special investigator for the apex bank.
Obazee and his team had submitted their report to the president, indicting the embattled former CBN governor of misappropriation of fund through contract scam and other frauds
After submitting the report, Obazee’s presidential mandate was said to have expired on Friday, December 1, 2023, as contained in a letter titled, “Expeditious conclusion of the Special Investigation into the Operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
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In that letter, the President directed the committee to submit their final report on or before Friday, December 1, 2023. However, it was gathered that months after the expiration of his presidential mandate, Obazee’s team allegedly continued carrying out unauthorized raids.
An inside source disclosed that following reports of the illegal raids, ONSA, summoned Obazee and asked him to return all government property in possession, halting all operations of the team.
“Jim Obazee and his team were summoned on Friday by the office and was asked to return all government property in his possession. This includes the official vehicles given to him to aid his operations, and others.
“He was stripped of all his powers and the presidential mandate as the CBN investigator so to speak,” the source said.
Credible News reports that President Tinubu appointed Jim Obazee, a former chief executive officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, as a special investigator to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN and related entities.
Obazee had investigated the CBN during Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s tenure and allegedly unearthed massive corruption.
It was upon his recommendation that former President Goodluck Jonathan suspended Sanusi in February 2014.
