Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, has issued an order for the remand of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in Kuje prison pending the determination of his bail application.
Emefiele will remain in custody until November 22, when the court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on the bail motion.
The decision came after a courtroom drama unfolded during the hearing, where Godwin Emefiele’s lead counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN, presented the bail application, facing staunch opposition from Rotimi Oyedepo, representing the Federal Government.
Justice Muazu, after hearing arguments from both sides, declared that a bench ruling could not be immediately delivered due to the multitude of legal authorities cited by the opposing parties.
The Judge expressed the need for some time to carefully study the authorities and review the exhibits submitted by Emefiele in support of his bail request.
Officials from the Kuje prison authority have been reportedly contacted to arrange for a vehicle to transport Emefiele to the detention facility.
Godwin Emefiele’s fate now hangs in the balance, awaiting the court’s decision next Wednesday, November 22.
Background
Godwin Emefiele, who was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS) on Saturday, June 10 after he was suspended as CBN Governor on June 9 by President Bola Tinubu, was granted bail on Wednesday, November 8, by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
The Federal Government had amended the alleged procurement charges it filed against Emefiele and reduced the charges, which originally were 20 to 6.
Marked CR/577/2023, the charges filed on November 8 were signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar; Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Mrs Nkiru Jones-Nebo, and eight other ministry officials.
Charged as the sole defendant, the Federal Government accused the former CBN governor of using his position to confer a corrupt advantage on Yaro by awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.
The alleged vehicles include 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854.7 million, one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9 million, one Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73.8 million, two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000.
Emefiele was also alleged to have awarded Yaro a contract for the procurement of two Toyota Landcruiser VXR V8s worth 138 million.
According to the charges, the alleged procurement contravened Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”