Jim Obazee, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the time in office of immediate past Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, has been stripped of all powers and ordered to return of all government property in his possession. The order was handed down when he was reportedly summoned by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) following reports of alleged intimidation even when his assignment was officially over.

Top officials at the CBN and some commercial banks had alleged witch-hunt and undue intimidation by Obazee’s team, even after his mandate had since expired.

Presdient Tinubu, in a letter dated July 28, 2023, had named Mr Obazee, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), as the special investigator for the apex bank.

Obazee and his team had submitted their report to the president, indicting the embattled former CBN governor of misappropriation of fund through contract scam and other frauds.

After submitting the report, Obazee’s presidential mandate expired on Friday, December 1, 2023, according to a letter dated November 29, 2023, and titled, “Expeditious conclusion of the Special Investigation into the Operations of the Central Bank of Nigeria”. In that letter, the President directed the committee to submit their final report on or before Friday, December 1, 2023.

However, it was gathered that months after the expiration of his presidential mandate, Obazee’s team allegedly continued carrying out unauthorised raids.

Angered by reports of the illegal raids, the ONSA, according to an inside source, summoned Obazee and asked him to return all government property in possession, halting all operations of the team.

“Jim Obazee and his team were summoned on Friday by Office of the National Security Adviser and was asked return all government property in his possession. This includes the official vehicles given to him to aid his operations, and others.

“He was stripped of all his powers and the presidential mandate as the CBN investigator so to speak,” the source disclosed.

The ONSA’s Head of Strategic Communication, Zakari U. Mijinyawa, did not return our reporter’s call at the time of filing this report. (Adapted from a report by DAILY NIGERIAN)

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