By Ken Afor
In connection with his alleged N1.6bilion procurement fraud, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, Friday, ordered the remand of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in Kuje Correctional facility pending ruling on his bail application.
Justice Hamza Muazu gave the order following Emefiele’s arraignment and his plea of “not guilty,” on a six-count amended charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Muazu, who took arguments on Emefiele’s bail application, adjourned until November 22 for ruling on the bail application and November 28 for the commencement of trial.
Emefiele, as the sole defendant, now faces six charges instead of the original twenty, amounting to N1.6 billion instead of the previous N6.5 billion.
On Friday, the former apex bank chief requested for a bail, pleading ‘not guilty’ to the six-count charge which was read to him.
The federal government alleged, in the revised indictment, that Emefiele unlawfully acquired 43 cars between 2018 and 2020 that were valued at N1.2 billion.
He was alleged to have given out a contract for the acquisition of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.
Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria 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 April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In the second count, it was alleged that Emefiele had used his position of power to unlawfully give 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 April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence.”
In 2019, he was accused of breaking Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by providing a contract to April1616 Investment Ltd. to provide a Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73 million.
April 1616 Investment Ltd. was illegally awarded a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued at N73,800,000 in the fourth count.
The federal government charged the ex-CBN governor with handing a contract to Yaro for the delivery of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles in 2020 for the price of N44,200,000.
The Federal Capital Territory High Court’s Justice Hamza Muazu
ordered Emefiele be held in custody at Kuje Correctional Centre during the interim period.
