By Ayo Kehinde
Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has vehemently denied an online publication alleging that he is among individuals financing terrorism in the country, describing the claim as “pure fabrication” motivated by malice and mischief.
In a statement issued on Saturday, December 6, Emefiele said he was alerted to what he called a “reckless, false and malicious” report published by SaharaReporters, insisting that the story was deliberately crafted to mislead Nigerians and tarnish his reputation.
He dismissed the allegation as entirely baseless, stating that he had never at any point (whether in office or in his private life) been involved in any activity remotely linked to terrorism or its financing.
“Throughout my service to the nation or even in my private life, at no time have I been involved in any activity connected to terrorism, terrorist financing, or any action that threatens the peace and security of our nation”, he said.
Emefiele further clarified that he had never been invited, questioned, or investigated over any terrorism-related matter and had no interaction whatsoever with the individual cited in the report.
“There is no scintilla of truth in the allegation. It is the product of pure mischief crafted by misguided elements for their despicable motives”, he declared.
He described the report as a product of “pure mischief crafted by misguided elements for their despicable motives”, and urged the public to disregard the publication in its entirety.
While calling on the media to uphold professionalism and avoid circulating unverified allegations, Emefiele stressed that national security issues must not be trivialised by “irresponsible reporting”.
“The fight against terrorism is too important to be trivialised by reckless misinformation”, he said, urging journalists to prioritise accuracy, evidence, and due diligence.
Emefiele reiterated his commitment to defending his name against falsehoods and maintaining his long-standing record of public service.
