Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, has denied a report accusing him of partaking in the illegal withdrawal of $6.3 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria during the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
There have been reported that a special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu uncovered the alleged theft, which supposedly occurred on February 8, 2023 — weeks before the presidential election.
The Special Investigator’s report also alleged that Mustapha, alongside the embattled former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, ordered the removal of the cash under the guise of funding foreign election observer missions.
The report further claimed CCTV footage captured how the money was moved out of the apex bank headquarters.
But Mustapha, in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen on Saturday, emphatically refuted the accusations.
He described the allegations against him as “outrageous and unsubstantiated,” saying, the allegation was a “malicious fabrication” and an “orchestrated” attempt to assassinate his character and besmirch his reputation.
The ex-SGF added that he lacked knowledge of the purported “Presidential Directive” cited in the report as justification for the withdrawal.
Mustapha noted that he was never involved in discussions or transactions related to any payments for foreign election observers.
He quizzed the timing of the allegation, pointing to its publication during the “sensitive pre-Christmas period” as an indication that it was a deliberate attempt to exploit public sentiment and sow seeds of doubt.
The former SGF demanded a thorough and transparent investigation into the matter, urging the authorities to “probe the source of the fabricated documents” and expose those behind the “smear” campaign.”
Mustapha also appealed to the public and the media to exercise critical thinking, rather than succumbing to misinformation.