Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele a N20 million bail with one surety in the like sum.
The governor who pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, July 26, is facing a two-count charges bordering on alleged illegal possession of firearms.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo made the order following the banker’s not guilty appeal on the charges filed against him by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation under the Ministry of Justice.
In the first count, Emefiele is accused of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence, which is contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.
In the second count, the suspended CBN governor is accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (cartridges) without a licence, which is contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.
Oweibo rejected the Federal Government’s claim that Emefiele was a flight risk and ruled that the government failed to provide any fact to support its claim.
The court adjourned the case until November 14 for trial and ordered a remand of the defendant in the correctional service pending perfection of his bail.
In an unfolding drama, the DSS re-arrested Emefiele shortly after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
After the case was adjourned, Emefiele remained in the courtroom for several hours.
When a senior officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) attempted to take the defendant into custody in line with the court’s directive which ordered his remand pending perfection of bail, the DSS resisted the move.
After a face-off between men of the DSS and NCoS, the defendant was eventually intercepted by the DSS when he stepped out of the court room and taken away in a police vehicle at about 3:15 pm.
It was not clear why the former CBN governor was taken away by the DSS.
Emefiele, 61, had filed the application through his team of counsel led by Chief Joseph Daudu, SAN, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
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