Court Remands Emefiele In Kuje Prison, Adjourns Bail Application Ruling

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ordered the remand of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, gave the order on Friday and adjourned the ruling on the bail application filed by the former CBN boss till November 22, 2023.

Emefiele was arraigned by the Federal Government on a six-count charge bordering on procurement. The original charge, which was 20 counts of N6.5 billion, has been reduced to six, to N1.6 billion.

In the amended charge sheet, the Federal Government alleged that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion.

The former CBN Governor, who is the only defendant in the new charge, was accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.

In the first count, Emefiele was accused of using his position as the CBN Governor 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 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”

In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”

In the third count, the former CBN boss was also accused of conferring a corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April 1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73 million.

In the fourth count, Emefiele was accused of illegally awarding a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued at N73,800,000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd.

The Federal Government further accused Emefiele of also awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.