Terrorism allegation against me is pure fiction – Emefiele

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has firmly dismissed claims linking him to the financing of terrorism, branding the reports as unfounded fabrications intended to tarnish his reputation.

The former apex bank chief issued a statement on Saturday, in response to publications that listed him among alleged sponsors of terrorist activities in the country. He described the reports as “malicious inventions” circulated by individuals he believes are motivated by ulterior interests.

Emefiele stated that he had never, at any point in his public service or private life, engaged in any conduct that could be associated with terrorism or the funding of extremist groups. He stressed that he had never been invited, questioned, or investigated by any security agency over such allegations.

He said the seriousness of Nigeria’s security challenges should deter the media from promoting unverified claims capable of misleading citizens or distracting from the national effort against terrorism.

“There is absolutely no truth whatsoever in these accusations,” he said, adding that those behind the publications were acting in bad faith. He called on Nigerians to ignore the reports entirely and urged journalists to uphold responsible, fact-based reporting instead of amplifying sensational statements without evidence.

Emefiele reiterated that the allegations were the handiwork of “misguided actors intent on causing mischief”, and warned that the spread of misinformation could harm the country’s security discourse.