Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, secured bail from a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Wednesday, marking his release after spending 151 days in custody.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi directed the immediate release of Emefiele to his legal representatives, who are tasked with presenting him in court for arraignment either next week or on another specified day.
As part of the bail conditions, the judge mandated that the former bank chief must surrender his travel documents to the chief registrar of the court, pending his formal arraignment.
Prior to the ruling, Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Burkaa, sought lenient bail terms, citing his client’s 151 days in security agency custody, invoking Section 35 (4a and b) of the 1999 constitution.
In response to the bail request, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Federal Government’s counsel, Onyi Koleosho, contested, highlighting that Emefiele had been in the EFCC’s custody since October 26, a period of less than two months.
Koleosho also informed the court that a hearing notice had been issued, scheduling Emefiele’s arraignment for November 15, 2023, regarding a pending charge filed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
He said the court should decline the application for Emefiele’s release in the interest of justice, and to avoid a situation where the scheduled arraignment may interfere with investigations, adding that releasing him will pose further problems and difficulties for the prosecution to get him to attend court next week, for his arraignment.
Counsel for the EFCC Farouk Abdallah agreed that the issue of bail is at the discretion of the court.
In a further submission, Burkaa pointed out that his client has not been served any charge to date. He assured the court that the former CBN governor is not a flight risk and doesn’t have the capacity to stop his arraignment by the Federal Government next week.
During the proceeding, Emefiele was also given the room to address the court. He said he hasn’t been charged till date.
The judge subsequently granted Emefiele bail and adjourned till November 17 for the substantive motion on notice as well as the preliminary objection.
