Court Grants Emefiele Bail Over EFCC Failure To Comply With Order

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele has been granted bail by an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, on Wednesday.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi ordered that he should be released to his lawyers.

The judge noted that it was the refusal of the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, to comply with the order the court made on November 2, that led to the ruling.

The judge held that “There must be an end to detention without trial.”

The judge said he could not allow Emefiele to remain in custody owing to the claim of the Federal Government that he would on November 15, be arraigned on a fresh charge.

The judge said the claim was speculative as there was nothing to establish that the planned arraignment would hold as scheduled.

“A very crucial fact that this court cannot overlook is the Applicant’s claim that he has been incarcerated for a period of upward of 151 days without trial,” Justice Adeniyi added.

He held that section 298(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, empowered the court to make necessary orders, even when there is a remand order against an Applicant.

Consequently, the court directed that Emefiele should be released to a team of three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, that represented him in the matter.

The lawyers were told to produce Emefiele in court on November 15 for his planned arraignment or at any other date that he is required to appear in court.

Justice Adeniyi directed Emefiele to surrender all his international documents to the most senior Registrar of the court, pending his arraignment.

It subsequently adjourned further proceedings in the matter till November 17.