Court Remands Former CBN Governor Emefiele In Kuje Correctional Centre Over ‘N1.6bn Procurement Fraud’

The High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Friday, has given the order for the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until his bail request is processed.

 This order was given after Emefiele was arraigned by the Federal Government of Nigeria on a six-count charge which bordered on alleged procurement.  

The FG had reduced the original 20 counts against Emefiele, which was to the tune of N6.5 billion, to a six-count charge which is to the tune of N1.6 billion.

The revised charge sheet indicates that the charges still border on procurement fraud. The FG accused Emefiele of fraudulently purchasing 43 automobiles for N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020. Additionally, he was charged with giving a contract of N854 million to buy 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles.

The former CBN governor, who initially appeared in court to apply for bail, pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge after it was read to him.

The former CBN governor’s attorney, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, filed the request for bail during the hearing on Friday. However, the FG’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, strongly objected to the former CBN governor being granted bail.

Presiding judge Justice Hamza Muazu then said that a bench judgment was not possible given the abundance of authority that both sides had cited.

The judge stated that he required some time to review the evidence provided by Emefiele to support his bail plea as well as to research the relevant authorities.

However, he gave an order for Emefiele to be remanded in the Kuje prison while his bail request was processed.

Muazu then postponed the case to November 28 for the start of the trial and November 22 for a decision on the bail application.

Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi

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