SSS arrests CBN Deputy Governor Kingsley Obiora

The State Security Service (SSS) has reportedly arrested Mr. Kingsley Obiora, the deputy governor responsible for economic policy at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to POLITICS NIGERIA reports, Obiora has been in custody for four consecutive nights and has been subjected to intensive questioning by the SSS.

The questioning by the security service is said to be part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement during the tenure of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the CBN.

It would be recalled that Emefiele, who assumed office as CBN governor in June 2014, has been in SSS custody since June 10, 2023. This followed his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu.

Despite two federal judges ordering Emefiele’s release, the SSS has continued to detain him, citing various grounds and filing fresh charges to replace earlier ones. These actions have raised questions about the motives behind his prolonged detention.

Sources close to the matter suggest that Obiora may be targeted as a key witness against his former superior, Emefiele, People’s Gazette reports. However, this claim is yet to be corroborated by other sources.

In a related development, another high-ranking official at the CBN, Abbas Masanawa, was recently arrested and remains in custody.

This suggests an effort by authorities to unearth the extent of alleged corruption during Emefiele’s tenure.

President Bola Tinubu appointed a special investigator in late July to examine various federal agencies, including the CBN, suspected of harbouring a culture of public corruption. Jim Osayande Obazee, the appointed investigator, assumed his role in early August, according to officials.