The High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory has ruled that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his bail request. Emefiele is facing trial on allegations of procurement fraud.
The trial, which had faced delays on three occasions, finally proceeded on Friday. The Federal Government initially brought forward 20 charges related to procurement fraud amounting to N6.5 billion against the former CBN governor. However, the charges were later reduced to six, involving over N1 billion, as Emefiele was arraigned on Friday.
During Friday’s proceedings, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, moved the application for bail, but the prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, vehemently opposed granting bail to the former CBN governor.
Presiding over the case, Justice Hamza Muazu noted that a bench ruling could not be immediately delivered due to the plethora of authorities cited by both parties. The judge expressed the need to study the authorities and examine the exhibits provided by Emefiele to support his bail application.
While granting an adjournment, Justice Muazu ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the Kuje prison until the determination of his bail application. The judge scheduled 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.
