The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, has made adjustments to the bail conditions previously granted to the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The court, during Thursday’s proceedings, responded to Emefiele’s motion seeking a variation of his bail conditions, particularly to allow for domestic travel within the country.
Initially, in November, the court had granted Emefiele bail in the amount of N300 million with two sureties in like sum.
The conditions stipulated that each surety must possess landed property worth N300 million within the court’s jurisdiction, accompanied by a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to be deposited with the court registrar for verification.
Additionally, Emefiele was required to deposit his travel documents with the court and remain in Abuja throughout the trial.
However, during Thursday’s hearing, Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, informed the court of a motion filed on January 10, seeking a variation of the bail conditions to facilitate his client’s travel within the country.
Burkaa urged the court to consider and grant this request.
The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not object to the application but emphasized the importance of ensuring that Emefiele remains within Nigeria during the trial.
Oyedepo further requested that the defense team provide a written undertaking that their client would stay within the country.
In a ruling on the application, Justice Hamza Muazu granted Emefiele’s request for modified bail conditions, allowing him to travel within Nigeria for the duration of the trial.
The court, however, emphasized the importance of the defendant remaining within the country.
Meanwhile, Oyedepo informed the court that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed an amended charge against Emefiele on Wednesday.
He urged that the defendant be allowed to enter his plea for the new charge. Burkaa, on the defense side, requested time to study the new charge, as it was served on Wednesday.
In light of this development, the court adjourned the sitting until January 19, providing time for the defense to examine the amended charge.
Emefiele was initially arraigned before the court on November 17, 2023, facing a six-count charge related to conferring an advantage on a female staff member of CBN.
The charges, under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, alleged that Emefiele used his position as CBN governor to award six contracts to a CBN staff member, Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, between 2018 and 2020, totaling N1,210,600,000.
Yero was a director in the company to which the contracts were awarded.
Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charges.
