Secret Police Probe Nigerian Central Bank Boss Amid Standoff

Nigeria’s secret police are investigating central bank Governor Godwin Emefiele for alleged financial crimes related to the nation’s multibillion-dollar public lending programs, according to a court affidavit. The banker’s defenders say politicians opposed to recent currency reforms are behind the probe.

A State Security Service investigation has yielded “credible intelligence of suspicious activities” by Emefiele including money laundering, terror financing and misappropriation of funds, according to the previously unreported affidavit the agency filed in the capital, Abuja, last month and seen by Bloomberg. Emefiele didn’t respond to two emailed requests for comment while multiple phone calls and messages to the central bank’s spokesman weren’t answered.