Governor Godwin Emefiele is currently meeting with top government officials at the Central Bank of Nigeria. 

Attorney-General Abubakar Malami and federal cabinet secretary Boss Mustapha are amongst those attending the meeting at the bank’s headquarters in Abuja, Peoples Gazette heard from sources familiar. Senator majority leader Ibrahim Gobir was also present at the meeting, although he joined late, an official said.

Details of the meeting were not immediately disclosed, but a senior official said it was connected with an attempt to force Mr 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 had 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. 

It was not immediately clear why Mr Emefiele returned to Nigeria, given that he has previously vowed to stay away until he received 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.