Former member of the House of Representatives, Gudaji Kazaure, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly receiving ₦70 million from Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Naijaonpoint reports that Kazaure, who represented Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, and Yankwashi Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, was taken into custody on Wednesday.
The arrest came shortly after a High Court in Kano vacated a restraining order that had previously prevented the EFCC from arresting Kazaure. According to Daily Nigerian, Kazaure was detained by the anti-graft agency shortly after the court ruling.
Reports indicate that Kazaure allegedly received ₦70 million from Emefiele in two installments.
A source within the EFCC who spoke with the platform revealed that Kazaure received ₦20 million in two separate tranches through an intermediary, named Eric, who reportedly acted on Emefiele’s behalf to facilitate the transactions.
According to the source, the money was intended to be used to purchase “Sallah Rams.”
The former lawmaker reportedly received another ₦50 million from Emefiele, which was described as a “donation” following a fire incident at Kazaure’s residence. The source added that the fire incident at Kazaure’s home prompted the alleged donation.
Kazaure is currently being held at the EFCC’s Kano office, and sources suggest that he may soon be transferred to Abuja to face formal charges.
In December 2022, Kazaure accused Emefiele of corruption, alleging that ₦89.1 trillion in stamp duty charges had gone missing under Emefiele’s leadership at the CBN.