MARGARET CHIDERA
ABUJA, Nigeria – Embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, was on Friday remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until November 22 when his bail application will be determined.
A judge of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court sitting in Maitama District of Abuja, Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered Emefiele’s remand after the Economic and Financial Criminal Commission (EFCC), arraigned the embattled former CBN Governor on a fresh six-count criminal charges.
EFCC separated a 20-count charge involving Emefiele and one Mrs Sa’adatu Yaro, and a company, April 1616 Investment Limited.
Though, Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge read against him, trial court judge, Justice Muazu, ordered his remand pending ruling on his bail application.
The former CBN boss was released last week after spending 151 days in custody, following the order of Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the same High Court of the FCT.
Justice Muazu on Friday adjourned till November 22, to determine the bail application, but fixed November 28, for the commencement of Emefiele’s trial.
The anti-graft agency had in August this year, first charged Emefiele and one Mrs Sa’adatu Yaro and a company, April 1616 Investment Limited, purported to belong to Mrs Yaro, for alleged breaches of the procurement Act in respect of the purchase of some vehicles but the arraignment could not go on because of the reported ill health of Mrs Yaro.
However, when the matter was called on Friday, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), drew the attention of the court to an amended charge dated November 8, 2023.
In the new charge Emefiele was the sole defendant and the charge reduced from 20 to six, to which the former CBN boss pleaded not guilty.
In count one, he was alleged to have used his position as governor of CBN to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of “Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N854,700,000.00) only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.
Count two:
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Avalon at the cost of Ninety-Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N99,900,000.00) only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yero is a Director and thereby committed an offence,contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.
Count three:
That you Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa‘adatu Ramaiian Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No ) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of Seventy three Millon and = eight hundred Thousand = Naira (N73 800 000 00) only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.
Count four
That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2020 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramailan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 2 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of Forty Four Million Two hundred thousand Naira ° (N44,200,000.00) only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and thereby committed an offence.
