A former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after he was arraigned on fresh charges on Monday.
He was arraigned at the Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, over alleged abuse of office and allocation of billions of dollars.
But when the 26-count charge was read to Emefiele and his co-defendant Henry Omoile, both pleaded not guilty to all counts.
However, the trial judge Justice Rahman Oshodi ordered that Emefiele be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
He is to be remanded till the next adjourned date, Thursday, April 11 when the court will give its ruling on his bail application.
Justice Rahman Oshodi also ordered the remand of Emefiele’s co-defendant Henry Omoile at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the court’s ruling on his bail also on Thursday.
The defendants had asked for bail pending the hearing and determination of the proceedings.
Emefiele specifically asked the court to grant him bail on self-recognisance pending the hearing and determination of his case or in the alternative that he be released to his counsel pending the determination of the case.
His counsel AbdulHakeem Labi-Lawal argued that the court should consider his status.
The counsel said: “For nine years, Emefiele was the number one banker in Nigeria”.
The counsel also asked the court to consider Emefiele’s conduct since his arrest.
“Emefiele has been granted bail by Justice Muazu and has been attending his trial at the FCT High Court. Since that bail was granted, he has never missed his hearing dates and the prosecution is almost rounding up its case. The defendant has always religiously presented himself in court to answer the allegations against him,” the counsel said.
“Last week Thursday, the EFCC called him to say that two charges have been filed against him and he has presented himself again in court today to answer to one of the fresh charges against him. He is not a flight risk”.
The counsel also said that this charge in Lagos is just one of the charges and Emefiele is likely to be arraigned on another set of fresh counts in Abuja next week.
