The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, stirred controversy by visiting the Kuje Maximum Security Prison in Abuja to meet with the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
According to reports, the monarch made two visits on Tuesday, 5th December where he engaged in lengthy discussions with Emefiele during both visits.
Following these discussions, the monarch reportedly called for the release of Emefiele, who remains in custody due to his inability to meet the N300 million bail conditions imposed by the court.
Emefiele is facing a six-count charge of procurement fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020, allegedly conferring a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Yaro, a CBN staff member.
However, in a rebuttal, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, clarified that the monarch’s visits were not specifically to meet Emefiele. Instead, the Ooni was at the prison on behalf of Hopes Alive Initiative (HAI), a non-governmental organization supporting the prison.
The program, organized in collaboration with the Kuje correctional administration, aimed to provide hope to prisoners regarding their reintegration into society after serving their sentences, coinciding with the Ooni’s eighth anniversary.
Olafare emphasized that reports insinuating a meeting between the Ooni and Emefiele were aimed at blackmailing the monarch. He stated that the event was official and organized by the NGO, with a video available to the public for verification.
Olafare expressed skepticism about Emefiele’s attendance, pointing out that he is in detention, not yet an inmate, questioning the linkage of the program to the former CBN governor.