Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja yesterday remanded a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He will remain behind bars until Thursday, when the judge will determine his bail application.
Justice Oshodi made the decision after Emefiele and his co-defendants, Herry Omoile, pleaded not guilty to a 26-count charge bordering on abuse of office brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He, however, remanded Omoile in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
The defence lawyer, Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal, urged the court to admit his client to bail self-recognisance or, on the most liberal terms.
He particularly urged the court to impose the same bail conditions earlier granted to the defendant by Justice Hamzat Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and that he be released to his lawyers pending the perfection of the bail terms.
In a 31-paragraph affidavit attached to the application, Ladi-Lawal, said the first defendant (Emefiele), had met the bail conditions imposed on him by Justice Muazu.
The EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the bail application. Still, he urged the judge to impose conditions that would compel the defendants to be in court for their trial.
The defendants were accused of accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipts.
He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000 in the charge filed on April 3rd by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Emefiele, the former CBN governor, is already being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his time in office.
Some of the counts read, “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: special allocation of foreign exchange amounting to the total sum of $370,872,893.01 which act is prejudice to the rights of Nigerians.
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele , sometime in December 2018, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly received the sum of $400,000 from The Source Computer Limited on account of the approval of ‘contracts’ in favour of the said company, by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Institution of Government wherein you served as governor.
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, sometime in December 2018, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly received the sum of $200,000 from The Source Computer Limited on account of the approval of ‘contracts’ in favour of the said company by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the institution of government wherein you served as governor.“
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