By Geraldine Onyenweaku.
In the ongoing probe of the Union Bank acquisition, the Special Investigations Panel on the Central Bank of Nigeria, headed by Jim The Baxter, has summoned former CBN governor Tunde Lemo and two others to appear before it on Thursday, December 28, 2023.
Tunde Leno, Chairman of Titan Trusts, and the other two individuals are instructed to present themselves to the Department of Force Intelligence “without fail or excuse” on Thursday. According to Channels Television, the letter, dated December 24, 2023, was signed by DCP Eloho Okpoziakpo, the Head of Operations in the Office of the Special Investigator.
The letter reads, “Accordingly, you are hereby invited to come along with Messrs Cornelius Vink and Mr Rahul Savara to meet with the Team of Special Investigators by 2 pm on 28th December 2023 at the Department of Force Intelligence opposite Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Shehu Shagari Way, Garki, Abuja, without fail or excuse.”
They have been directed to bring all documents supporting their shares in the bank. The letter further states that failure to attend the meeting and defend the requested documents will be construed as a decision to forfeit their alleged shareholdings in TTB and Union Bank of Nigeria.
Appointed as CBN Special Investigator in July 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, Obazee implicated former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele in his report, alleging that Emefiele used proxies to establish two financial institutions. In December 2021, Union Bank announced its takeover by TTB, formalizing the deal six months later with Tunde Lemo as the chairman.