The trial of former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, was on Thursday stalled at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting at Maitama, Abuja.
Emefiele is standing trial on a 20-count amended charge brought against him by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
At the last sitting, trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, had adjourned till April 25, for further cross examination of the seventh witness.
When the matter was called on Thursday, neither lawyers to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) nor Emefiele was in court. But a lawyer, who claimed to be part of the defence team, one I. D. Ahmed, told the court that his lead counsel had informed him of a letter from the prosecution for the adjournment of the matter to a date in May.
Although, he did not give the reason for the adjournment in the open court, it might not be unconnected with Emefiele’s fresh trial in Lagos.
Responding, Muazu, who observed that the date suggested by counsel for continuation of trial was not convenient for the court, subsequently, fixed June 24 and 25 for continuation of trial.
At the last sitting, the seventh prosecution witness, Mr Michael Agboro, under cross examination admitted that Emefiele did not confer any unfair, corrupt advantage on himself in the award of contracts to some companies during his tenure at the apex bank.
Among allegations against Emefiele was that he forged a document titled, “Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions,” dated January 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and purported same to have emanated from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The anti-graft agency had alleged that Emefiele engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence, when he served as the apex bank’s boss.
Besides, EFCC alleged that the former CBN governor used his office to confer unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies: April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.
Agboro, an investigator with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) was the seventh witness called to establish the claim of the commission.
Lawyers representing Emefiele in the suit would, however, continue their questioning of the witnesses when trial resume in June.
Emefiele, in the amended charge, was alleged to have, on February 8, 2023, knowingly obtained by false pretence $6,230,000.00 by falsely representing the SGF vide a letter dated January 26, 2023 with Ref No. SGF 43/L.01/201 and requested the CBN to provide a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000 “in line with Mr. President’s directive.”
Meanwhile, the United States of America berated the Nigerian government over the arrest of Emefiele last year over corruption allegations.
The U. S., in its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights situation in Nigeria, published on April 23, 2024, described Emefiele’s arrest as “arbitrary”.
The report released on the US Department of State Website, while claiming that there were numerous arbitrary arrests in the year under review, alleged that “law enforcement and intelligence agencies did not always follow due process, arresting suspects without appropriate arrest and search warrants”.
Besides Emefiele, the report also pointed to the arrest of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 when he was extradited back to Nigeria to face treasonable felony charges.
Under Section 1 titled, “Respect for the Integrity of the Person,”,the US recalled that the DSS on June 10, detained Emefiele “for investigative reasons”.
It said, “On July 25, the Federal High Court in Lagos granted Emefiele bail and ordered he be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until the bail was made. However, the DSS immediately attempted to arrest Emefiele again, and a fight reportedly broke out between DSS agents and Nigerian Correctional Service officers as each group tried to take Emefiele into custody.
Emefiele was released on bail on November 8. Emefiele was later charged with corruption”.
Alex Enumah
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