Just in: Emefiele’s Arraignment Stalled By Co-defendants’ Absence, Court Adjourns To August 23

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The suit preferred against Godwin Emefiele, suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, won Thursday adjourned to August 23.

The arraignment which was initially scheduled for Thursday, was stalled due to the absence of some of the defendants joined in the charge.

Emefiele who was present in court, was charged alongside Sa’adatu Yaro, a female CBN employee, and her company, April1616 Investment Limited, on 20 charges bordering on procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages.

Mohammed Abubakar, Counsel to the Federal Government and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, told the court that Mrs. Saadat Yaro took ill in the morning, hence her absence.

Abubakar apologised to the court and applied for a new date for arraignment.

He was on July 25, arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on “illegal possession” of firearms at a Federal High Court in Ikoyi and was granted bail in the sum of N20 million.

Nicholas Oweibo, the judge, had ordered that Emefiele be kept in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

However, the DSS insisted that Emefiele must return to its custody, a development that resulted in the face-off between the secret police and prison officials.

After the fray, DSS rearrested Emefiele on the court premises.

The secret service proceeded to file an application before a high court of the Federal Capital Territory, seeking to further detain the suspended CBN governor.

The application was struck out after it was withdrawn by the service over jurisdictional concerns.

The federal government on August 3, also filed an application before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking leave to appeal against the order granting bail to Emefiele.

On August 15, the Federal Government made an oral application to withdraw the charge of “illegal possession of firearms” against Emefiele.

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