Some senior officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday met with top government officials at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja, Peoples Gazette learnt.

Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and federal cabinet secretary Boss Mustapha are amongst those attending the meeting, Peoples Gazette heard from sources familiar. Senator majority leader Ibrahim Gobir was also present at the meeting, although he joined late, an official said. Some deputy governors of the bank were said to be at the meeting, which began around 5:00 p.m.

Details of the meeting, which lasted about one and a half hours., were not immediately disclosed, but a senior official said it was connected with an attempt to force Governor Godwin Emefiele to resign from office and negotiate his way out of being arrested by the State Security Service. 

The SSS has recently attempted to arrest Mr Emefiele, but the plan was foiled by two court orders that frowned upon such drastic measures against a man in charge of the nation’s monetary policy and regulations. 

Mr Emefiele has stayed back for weeks between the UK and the United States, with The Gazette establishing that he was attempting to seek asylum in either country. 

Mr Emefiele has vowed to stay away from Nigeria pending a clear guarantee from President Muhammadu Buhari of his safety from the SSS, which has continued to threaten him over allegations of economic sabotage and terrorism financing. 

A previous version of this story incorrectly said Godwin Emefiele was at the meeting. Additional facts collected by The Gazette, including from participants and Mr Emefiele’s circles, contradicted our earlier reporting and established that the embattled central bank chief was not at the meeting or anywhere near Nigeria as of January 12, 2023. The error is regretted.