Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, was remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following his arraignment for alleged abuse of office at a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja. Justice Rahman Oshodi issued the remand order after Emefiele and his co-defendant, Herry Omoile, pleaded not guilty to a 26-count charge of abuse of office brought against them by the EFCC.
While Emefiele would remain in custody until Thursday, when the judge will decide on his bail application, Omoile was remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services. Before the court's ruling, Emefiele's lawyer, Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal, had requested bail for his client on self-recognition or, at the very least, on the most liberal terms. He urged the court to impose the same bail conditions earlier granted to Emefiele 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.
The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the bail application but urged the judge to impose conditions that would ensure the defendants' presence in court for their trial. The defendants were accused of various offenses, including accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipts. Emefiele was also accused of conferring a 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 is also facing prosecution by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his tenure as CBN Governor.
