- By Halimah Olamide
Relief has come the way of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Mr. Godwin Emefiele, as he was granted bail on Wednesday.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court of the FCT, Maitama, admitted the former apex bank boss to bail in a ruling delivered Wednesday afternoon.
The judge said it was the duty of Emefiele’s lawyers to produce him in court on November 15 when he is expected to appear before another judge of the High Court of the FCT in a charge earlier filed by the EFCC against him and one other person.
Ruling on the bail application on the enforcement of his right, justice Adeniyi held that the applicant has been in detention longer than the law stipulates.
He held that this is against the provision of sections 46 (2) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
” There must be an end to number of days in detention.
” The applicant is hereby released on bail to his lawyers, Matthews Burkaa, SAN, Magaji Ibrahim, SAN and J J Usman, SAN.
” They must bring him to court on Nov. 15 for his arraignment,, secondly, he must deposit his travelling documents to the Registrar of the court” he held.
Emeifele was first detained from June, when he was removed as CBN Governor, by the Department of State Service (DSS) and later transferred to EFCC last week, seeking his release.
Emefiele, through his legal team, joined the Federal Government,Attirney-General of the Federation (AGF), EFCC chairman and the anti-corruption commission as respondents.
Emefiele was scheduled to be arraigned by the Federal Government before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT high court t, Maitama, on August 17 alongside two others, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro and a company, April1616 Investment Limited.
They were to be arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud to the tine of N6.9billion, conferment of advantage and conspiracy.
The arraignment could, however, not hold due to the absence of Yaro, who was said to be sick and the matter was adjourned August 23