The Department of State Service (DSS) has reportedly apprehended Mr. Kingsley Obiora, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Deputy Governor responsible for economic policy. Mr. Obiora has spent four consecutive nights in DSS custody, where he has undergone extensive questioning as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement during the tenure of the former CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
Since Mr. Emefiele’s removal from office by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023, he has remained in DSS custody despite two federal judges ordering his release. The DSS has cited various reasons for his continued detention, raising questions about the motives behind this prolonged confinement.
Sources close to the matter suggest that Mr. Obiora may be viewed as a critical witness in the case against his former superior, Mr. Emefiele. However, this claim has yet to be independently verified.
In a related development, another high-ranking CBN official, Abbas Masanawa, was also recently arrested and remains in custody. These arrests indicate a concerted effort by authorities to uncover the extent of alleged corruption during Mr. Emefiele’s tenure. President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of a special investigator in late July, tasked with examining federal agencies suspected of fostering a culture of public corruption, further underscores the seriousness of the investigation. Jim Osayande Obazee, the appointed investigator, assumed his role in early August, according to officials.