Court grants Emefiele bail after 151 days in detention

An Abuja High Court on Wednesday, granted former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele bail following his recent arrest and detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In his ruling, president of the court, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, ordered the EFCC to release Emefiele to his lawyers and that the order should put an end to his detention without trial.

Adeniyi stressed that it was the refusal of the EFCC to comply with the order the court made on November 2 when he was arraigned by the DSS that led to the ruling.

The court also held that it could not allow Emefiele to remain in custody owing to claim of the Federal Government that he would be arraigned on fresh charges on November 15.

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

The judge also noted that a remand order secured by lawyers to the government which was tendered before the court bore conflicting dates.

“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 said.

He emphasized that Section 298(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, empowers the court to make necessary orders, even when there is a remand order against an applicant, and consequently directed that Emefiele should be released immediately.

He, however, directed the ex-CBN boss to surrender all his international documents to the most senior registrar of the court, pending his arraignment, while instructing his lawyers to produce him in court on November 15 for his planned arraignment or at any other date that he is required to appear in court.

The judge subsequently adjourned further proceedings in the matter till November 17.