A Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, on Monday, remanded a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following his arraignment for alleged abuse of office.
Justice Rahman Oshodi made the remand order after Emefiele and his co-defendant, Herry Omoile, pleaded not guilty to a 26-count charge. The charges border on abuse of office brought against them by the EFCC.
Emefiele will remain behind bars until Thursday, when the judge will determine his bail application
However, the judge remanded Omoile in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
Before the court’s ruling, Emefiele’s lawyer Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal had urged the court to admit his client to bail on self-recognition, or in the most liberal terms.
The lawyer 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.
He added that Emefiele be released to his lawyers pending the perfection of the bail terms.
The EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the bail application. But he urged the judge to impose conditions that would compel the defendants to court for their trial.
Accusations
The defendants were accused of accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipts.
He was also accused of conferring a corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000. The charge was filed on April 3 by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
Emefiele is also 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.
