The Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Obiora, has reportedly been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) for four nights. According to reports, he is being questioned in connection with allegations of financial mismanagement during the tenure of the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on June 9 following an investigation into the affairs of the central bank. He was subsequently arrested and has been in DSS detention, despite being granted bail by the court.
Both the CBN spokesperson and the DSS spokesperson have not responded to inquiries about the matter.
In a separate incident, the suspended Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area in Ogun State, Wale Adedayo, has been detained by the Department of State Security Services (DSS). Adedayo had been invited for questioning by the DSS and had arrived at their facility in Abeokuta, but was not interrogated. The governor was seen at the DSS facility during Adedayo’s visit.
Adedayo had been suspended by seven councillors in the area over allegations of financial mismanagement. He had alleged that local government areas in the state had not received any federal allocation since 2021 and that about N10.8 billion belonging to the council areas was missing. The state government denied these allegations.
Additionally, members of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) in Ogun State denied allegations of fund diversion and clarified that local government funds were not missing. They explained that funds were allocated and disbursed through the committee’s monthly meetings.
The Ogun State House of Assembly barred journalists from entering the premises, preventing coverage of the ongoing developments.
These incidents highlight ongoing concerns about financial transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s government institutions and the role of security agencies in investigations and detentions.