EFCC To Arraign Emefiele May 15 On Three-Count Amended Charge

On May 15, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele in a Federal Capital Territory court on a three-count amended charge.

In the fresh charge filed against him, the EFCC alleged that Emefiele disobeyed the direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the arraignment was earlier slated before Justice Maryan Anenih.

However, all the parties were not present in court when the matter, with case number: CR/264/2024 was called.

The court said that the prosecution sent a letter seeking for adjournment because Emefiele was standing trial in another court in Lagos.

The judge therefore adjourned until May 15 for the arraignment.

Emefiele is also standing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court on an alleged 20-count amended charge, preferred against him by the anti-graft agency.

He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence when he served as the apex bank’s boss.

on January 8, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the FCT High Court awarded N100 million damages in favour of the then suspended CBN boss against the Federal Government and the EFCC.

Justice Adeniyi further restrained the federal government and its agents from arresting Emefiele unless an order was obtained through a competent court.

The judge held that the respondents need not incarcerate the applicant in other to carry out investigation for a long period as against the provisions of the law.

“No material placed before the court to show that the release of the applicant will in any way interfere with the investigation of allegations preferred against him,” the Judge held.

Emefiele had dragged the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the EFCC and its chairman before the court to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.

He sought a declaration of the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since June 10, 2023 and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on October 26, 2023 without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondents in deviance of several valid subsisting court orders for his release amounts to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.