An Abuja High Court in Maitama on Wednesday has ordered the release on bail of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor/
In a decision read aloud by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, the court mandated that he be freed to counsel.
“Detention without trial must end,” the judge said, emphasising that the decision was reached as a result of the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) defiance of a November 2 court order.
Additionally, the court decided that Emefiele could not be kept in detention due to the Federal Government’s allegation that he would be charged with a new offence on November 15.
It ruled that the claim was speculative since there was no evidence that the scheduled arraignment would take place as planned.
Furthermore, the court noted that a supposed remand order presented before it by FG’s counsel, which was signed by an Abuja Chief Magistrate, carried contradicting dates.
Justice Adeniyi said:
“A very crucial fact that this court cannot overlook is the Applicant’s claim that he has been incarcerated for a period of upward of 151 days without trial.”
He ruled that section 298(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, authorised the court to issue appropriate instructions even when an Applicant was remanded.
cc: Vanguard Ng
