Court Approve Emefiele’s Request to Travel Outside Abuja, Decline Outside Country Travels

Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, permission to travel outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

However, a crucial condition stipulates that Emefiele must remain within the country’s borders.

The court, in its decision, upheld Emefiele’s request to modify his bail terms, which initially restricted him to the FCT. Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Bukka, SAN, had sought the variation, a plea to which the Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not object.

Oyedepo urged the court to ensure that Emefiele provided a written undertaking committing to stay within the country if granted permission to travel.

Additionally, the charges against the former CBN governor have been amended from six to 20. The revised charges now include criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud, and conspiracy to commit a felony. 

Emefiele was initially granted bail on December 24, 2023, in the sum of N300 million with two sureties in like sum.

Emefiele, who was arraigned on charges related to procurement fraud, allegedly used his position to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Yaro, a CBN staff, by awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.

Recall the former CBN governor had spent time in Kuje Correctional Centre after being taken into custody by the Department of State Services (DSS) last June. 

The DSS had confirmed Emefiele’s arrest at the time, stating it was for investigative reasons following his suspension as the CBN governor by President Bola Tinubu.

Emefiele had challenged his detention by the DSS through a fundamental human rights suit at the FCT High Court. 

Justice Hamza Muazu had issued a one-week ultimatum for the DSS to either charge Emefiele to court or release him, ultimately leading to his release from Kuje Correctional Centre after his lawyers fulfilled the bail conditions.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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