The High Court in the Federal Capital Territory has issued a directive for the remand of Godwin Emefiele, the ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the Kuje Correctional Centre. This decision was made pending the resolution of his bail application. Emefiele is currently facing trial on charges related to an alleged procurement fraud.
The trial, which had faced delays on three occasions, finally proceeded on Friday. Initially facing 20 charges of procurement fraud amounting to N6.5 billion, the Federal Government reduced the charges to six, totaling over N1 billion, during Emefiele’s arraignment on Friday.
During the proceedings, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, moved the bail application. However, the Federal Government’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the former CBN governor.
Presiding over the case, Justice Hamza Muazu stated that a bench ruling could not be immediately delivered due to the numerous legal authorities cited by both parties. Justice Muazu expressed the need to study the authorities and examine the exhibits provided by Emefiele in support of his bail request. Consequently, he ordered Emefiele’s remand at the Kuje prison pending the determination of the bail application.
The case has been adjourned until November 22 for the ruling on the bail application and November 28 for the commencement of the trial. This remand order follows a previous directive by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, who, on November 8, ordered Emefiele’s release to his lawyers after spending 151 days in detention.”
