Akin Kuponiyi
A Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja today Monday remanded former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele in the custody of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, having pleaded not guilty to a fresh 26-count charge bordering on abuse of office preferred against him.
The presiding Judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, made the remand order after Emefiele and his co-defendants, Herry Omoile, pleaded not guilty to a 26-count charge bordering on abuse of office brought against them by the EFCC.
Emefiele would have to remain in custody of EFCC until Thursday, when the Judge will determine his bail application.
The judge however, remanded Omoile in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
Before the court’s ruling, Emefiele’s lawyer Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal had urged the court to admit his client to bail on self-recognition or, on the most liberal terms.
Mr Ladi-Lawal particularly urged the court to impose the same bail conditions earlier granted to the defendant by Justice Hamzat Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja and that he should be released to his lawyers pending the perfection of the bail terms.
However,EFCC Prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the bail application but urged the judge to impose conditions that would compel the defendants to come for their trial.
The defendants were accused of accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipts.
He was also accused of conferring a corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000 in the charge filed on April 3rd by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
Emefiele is also being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his time in office.