Agency report
An Abuja High Court on Friday ordered that the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, be remanded in Kuje correctional centre until November 22.
Justice Hamza Muazu gave the order and adjourned until November 22 when Emefiele’s bail application will be heard.
Emefiele was arraigned on a-six count before Justice Muazu.
During the arraignment, Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, moved the application for bail but the counsel to the federal government, Rotimi Oyedepo, opposed it, giving reasons for his position.
Justice Hamza Muazu said in view of the different authorities cited by the two lawyers on the issue, a bench ruling could not be delivered.
He said he needed time to study the authorities and examine the exhibits supplied by Emefiele to support his request for bail.
He therefore ordered that the former CBN governor be remanded at Kuje correctional centre pending when the bail application would be determined.
Recall that Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, had ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to either release embattled Emefiele or produce him in court on November 6.
Justice Adeniyi gave the order after hearing an ex parte motion, marked M/122/2023 in a Motion on Notice with the number, FCT/HC/CV/040/2023, filed by Emefiele.
He was first detained from June, when he was removed as CBN Governor by the Department of State Service, DSS, and later transferred to EFCC.
Emefiele, through his legal team, joined the federal government, Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, EFCC chairman and the anti-corruption commission as respondents.
In his ruling, the judge ordered the anti-graft agency to either release the plaintiff/applicant unconditionally or in the alternative produce him before the court when the Motion on Notice would be heard for the purpose of being admitted to bail.