The Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja the Lagos state capital has remanded the former Central Bank Bank (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The embattled ex governor of the CBN was arraigned on Monday, April 8, by the federal government alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omole, before Rahmon Oshodi, a judge at the Ikeja high court.
Reacting to the 26-count charges preferred against them, the two defendants pleaded not guilty.
Justice Rahman Oshodi then ordered that Emefiele be remanded in EFCC custody over alleged abuse of office and $5.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud.
In the same vain, the judge ordered that Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, should be detained at Ikoyi Custodial Centre.
Meanwhile, the defendants counsel, Mr A. Labi-Lawal, had in his two bail application urged the court to grant the defendants bail on self recognition and on liberal terms pending the determination on the case.
Labi-Lawal, in his 31 affidavits, explained that the first defendant (Emefiele) had complied with the bail application which was given to him by Justice Muazu in his alleged fraud trial case going on in the FCT, Abuja.
He stated that the charges were bailable offences and not a capital offence.
He added, “Though the first defendant was granted administrative bail by the prosecuting authority. He is seeking for bail based on self recognition and he is ready to attend the court.”
“The court should also take into consideration, the status of the first defendant as he was the former CBN governor of the country”.
The defence counsel noted that his client had religiously presented himself before Justice Muazu in Abuja to answer the allegations levelled against him.
While praying the court to release Emefiele to lawyer, pending the determination of the bail, the defence counsel said that the first defendant was not at flight risk, as he was the first person to arrive in court.
On his part, the EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), did not oppose the bail application moved by the defene counsel.
However, Oyedepo urged the court to exercise its discretion judiciously in granting bail to the defendants.
Meantime, the prosecutor had asked the court for a trial date, following the plea of the defendants.
