The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former House of Representatives member, Gudaji Kazaure, in connection with an alleged N70 million payment he reportedly received from ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele.
According to sources within the EFCC, Kazaure was taken into custody on Wednesday in Kano. This came just hours after a state High Court lifted a restraining order that had previously prevented his arrest. The Gudaji Kazaure arrest is the latest twist in the ongoing investigations involving high-level figures in the former administration.
An EFCC insider told THE NATION DIGEST that Kazaure allegedly received N20 million in two separate payments through a middleman identified only as “Mr. Eric.” The funds were supposedly meant for the purchase of Sallah rams. In a separate transaction, he was also said to have received N50 million from Emefiele, described as a donation after a fire outbreak at his home.
Read Also: Federal Government Debunks Oyakhilomes’s Salt Theory, Urges Nigerians to Follow Medical Advice
Kazaure is currently being detained at the EFCC’s Kano office. Officials say he may soon be transferred to Abuja for more questioning and potential prosecution as investigations into the matter continue.
This development comes as a surprising reversal in Kazaure’s relationship with Emefiele. In December 2022, the former lawmaker publicly accused Emefiele of mismanaging stamp duty revenues, claiming that N89.1 trillion had vanished under his leadership at the CBN. Kazaure also claimed he was the chairman of a presidential committee created to investigate the matter during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency, though he said he was blocked from submitting the committee’s findings.
However, those claims were swiftly rejected by the Presidency at the time. Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu stated that no such money was missing and that the committee had been dissolved long before Kazaure’s accusations.
So far, neither Kazaure nor Emefiele has released any official comment regarding the arrest. As Nigerians await more details, Gudaji Kazaure’s arrest is stirring new questions about financial dealings and internal politics tied to the CBN under Emefiele’s leadership.
The EFCC has not confirmed when Kazaure will be formally charged, but insiders say the case is being treated as a serious matter with political and financial implications. With growing public interest in Gudaji Kazaure’s arrest, all eyes are now on the anti-graft agency as it proceeds with its investigations.
