As Nigeria struggles with economic hardship and inflation, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Yemi Cardoso and his four deputies have reportedly acquired bulletproof SUVs worth over N10 billion.
According to reports, the CBN governor and his deputies were nominated and confirmed by the Senate in September 2023.
It was gathered that Cardoso recently procured six armored Lexus LX 600 2023 models for himself and four deputies at the cost of over N10 billion.
Insiders said each of the apex bank’s deputy governors — Emem Usoro, Philip Ikeazor, Bala Bello and Sani Abdullahi — has taken delivery of one of the armored SUVs. Sources however, said the apex bank governor got two SUVs, to be used in Lagos and Abuja.
It was also gathered that both the governor and his deputies already have armored vehicles in their convoy before the procurement of the new ones.
According to www.fox7austin.com, the full-size LX 600 is based on the latest Toyota Land Cruiser, which is a favorite of Government agencies and aid organisations operating in hostile areas.
According to the experts, the standard LX 600, with its 409 horse-power (hp) turbocharged V6 and 4×4 drivetrain, starts at $88,245, while the armored versions cost well over $200,000, depending on the configuration.
Insiders further alleged that Cardoso also bought about 20 latest Toyota Camry cars at the rate of N85m for the CBN management and the board members.
They also revealed that the governor and his deputies have allegedly jacked-up their annual housing allowances to about a staggering 1 billion naira despite occupying official palatial residences in Maitama, Abuja.
According to the sources, they upgraded their international travel privileges, from business class to first-class, at a time a first-class ticket from Abuja to New York costs about 15,000 US dollars.
Attempts to get reaction from the CBN spokesperson, Hakama Sidi-Ali, were unsuccessful as she neither responded to call nor SMS sent to her phone number.
