From Sola Ojo, Abuja
A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was arraigned on Monday, June 16, before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful possession of property suspected to be proceeds of crime amounting to ₦7.8 billion.
Emefiele is accused of using his privileged position to unlawfully acquire properties, including 753 housing units, and control large sums of money suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
Count One reads: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE and ERIC OCHEME (at large), sometime in August 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly had under your control a property lying and being situate at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, FCT, Abuja, measuring 150,462.86 square meters with appurtenances, which property is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 319 (A) of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.”
Count Four reads: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE and ERIC OCHEME (at large), between January and December 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly had under control the total sum of ₦2,945,331,050 (Two Billion, Nine Hundred and Forty-Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Fifty Naira) domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.”
Head of Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said Emefiele pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read to him.
Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to proceed to trial, citing Section 19 of the EFCC Act, and requested an accelerated hearing while asking that Emefiele be remanded in a correctional centre pending trial.
“My Lord, in view of the plea of the defendant, the prosecution is urging this Honourable Court for an accelerated hearing of this matter. We are also asking that the defendant be remanded pending trial,” Oyedepo stated.
Defence counsel Mathew Burka, SAN, informed the court of a pending bail application filed on June 13, arguing that Emefiele had never defaulted on previous bail terms granted by other courts and was not a flight risk.
Although Oyedepo acknowledged receipt of the bail application, he noted it was served on him only that morning.
Justice Halilu granted bail to Emefiele, stating that bail is a constitutional right and that there was no evidence of the defendant ever jumping bail.
“What is paramount to me is the attendance of the defendant in court. The Constitution guarantees his right to bail, and I see no reason to deny it in the absence of any evidence that he has defaulted previously,” the judge ruled.
The bail conditions include:
- Two sureties with verifiable landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, or Life Camp, Abuja, each valued at not less than ₦2 billion.
- The sureties must submit undertakings to ensure the defendant’s attendance in court, failing which the properties will be forfeited to the Federal Government, and the sureties remanded.
- Emefiele must deposit his travel documents with the court.
The defence counsel’s plea for interim bail to enable Emefiele to perfect his bail conditions was declined. Justice Halilu held that Emefiele must meet the conditions by Wednesday, June 18, or be remanded in a correctional centre.
“In this court, I do not do handovers. The defendant has from today to Wednesday to perfect his bail or be remanded in prison,” the judge said.
The matter was adjourned to Thursday, July 11, for the commencement of trial.