We're not in N50bn plea bargain deal with Emefiele, FG refutes report

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The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Sunday, said insinuations that the Federal Government was in N50 billion plea bargaining deal with Godwin Emefiele, the immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was untrue.

Reports in some online reports had indicated that Emefiele and the Federal Government reached an agreement where the former CBN Governor agreed to return N50 billion for a non-prosecution plea bargain deal.

But a statement on Sunday, by Modupe Ogundoro (Mrs), Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Justice, said disclosed that the report was a figment of imagination.

Fagbemi said the Federal Government and Emefiele did not at any point in time agree to a non-prosecution plea bargain arrangement.

The statement reads: “The attention of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice has been drawn to a report by Sahara Reporters alleging that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Federal Government of Nigeria have agreed to a non-prosecution plea bargain arrangement.

“The report further alleges that Mr. Godwin Emefiele and the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, have signed a non-prosecution plea bargain agreement and that the agreement is awaiting the signature of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

“The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice hereby states clearly that these reports are completely false.

“It would be noted that the legal team representing Mr. Godwin Emefiele had expressed their intention in court at the last hearing to initiate a plea bargain arrangement.

“However, no such arrangement has been reached with Mr. Godwin Emefiele or his representatives.

“We wish to advise the media and members of the public to kindly disregard the said false report.”