A former member of the House of Representatives, Gudaji Kazaure, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of receiving N70 million from former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
According to News360 Nigeria, Kazaure was taken into custody on Wednesday, shortly after a Kano High Court lifted a restraining order that had previously shielded him from arrest. An EFCC source disclosed that the ex-lawmaker allegedly received N20 million in two instalments via an emissary identified as Mr. Eric, reportedly sent by Emefiele to facilitate the purchase of Sallah rams.
In addition, another N50 million was allegedly given to Kazaure by Emefiele as a “donation” following a fire outbreak at Kazaure’s residence. He is currently being held at the EFCC’s Kano office and may be transferred to Abuja for further investigation and possible prosecution.
This arrest comes amid lingering tensions between Kazaure and Emefiele. In December 2022, Kazaure had publicly accused the former CBN Governor of overseeing the disappearance of N89.1 trillion in stamp duty charges. He also claimed he was prevented from submitting a preliminary report from a presidential committee that had been tasked with probing the alleged missing funds.
However, the Presidency, through then-presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu, dismissed Kazaure’s allegations, clarifying that the committee in question had been dissolved prior to his claims.
