In a shocking twist that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s financial sector, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) launched a dramatic raid on the headquarters of Zenith Bank, uncovering staggering sums of money and luxurious properties tied to high-ranking officials.
As whispers of corruption and money laundering swirl around the bank’s top directors, the investigation has taken a startling turn with the revelation that Ifeanyi Okeme, a prominent figure in the banking world, is at the center of a scandal that implicates him in the illicit wealth creation schemes allegedly orchestrated for former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele. With billions at stake and the integrity of Nigeria’s banking system hanging in the balance, this unfolding saga promises to be one of the most explosive financial scandals in recent history.
The EFCC whilst investigating the alleged monumental fraud carried out by the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and his Cronies traced and discovered several properties reasonably suspected to have been acquired and or developed with proceeds of unlawful activities.
The name of Ifeanyi Omeke, a Deputy General Manager and Head, Litigation of Zenith Bank Plc was mentioned as the conduit for Emefiele to acquire properties all over Lagos and also perfect title documents.
The lid blew on Omeke’s dealings with Emefiele when EFCC operatives stormed his office and conducted a search where several seals for various companies and that of the Queensdorf Global Funds Limited were recovered.
Emefiele, who was a Deputy Managing Director with Zenith Bank before he assumed office as the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria was alleged to have used some of his cronies from Zenith Bank to run a fraudulent regime at the Central Bank.
Some of the seals recovered from Ifeanyi Collins Omeke revealed that the companies are suspected to be shell companies used by Godwin Emefiele as vehicles for money laundering and holding proceeds of his illicit activities.
Aside from the company seals recovered from Omeke, the sum of Two Million, Forty-Five Thousand Dollars ($2,045,000.00) and the shares certificate, were also recovered in his office at the Zenith Bank Head office on Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The EFCC alleged that most of the fraudulently earned funds have been invested in the acquisition of the various properties now sought to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. And that the properties were acquired by Godwin Emefiele and kept in the custody of Mr Collins Ifeanyi Omeke, with sums traced and reasonably believed to be proceeds of unlawful activities and kickback from allocation of Foreign exchange.
The investigation further revealed that all these companies were used in the intermediate steps to perfect this scheme of fraud.
Justice Aluko granted the interim forfeiture of the money, the share certificates, and all the landed properties.
The court verdict has thrown confusion in the way of Zenith Bank as it is claimed that the EFCC while beaming its searchlight on the activities of Emefiele and Omeke discovered other illicit actions been perfected by the bank during the time of Emefiele as the CBN Governor.
Collins Ifeanyi Omeke a law graduate from the University of Calabar acted as legal advisor and company secretary, in addition to being the Head of Human Resources and administration at Zenith Pensions. He allegedly acted on Emefiele’s instructions and the EFCC recovered significant evidence from him which is presently putting the bank at disrepute.
