The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has bowed to the order of the court by producing the former Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, in court for the hearing of his bail application.

 

Emefiele who has been in the custody of Security agencies for over 149 days, was ordered by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, to be released unconditionally or be brought to hear his application for bail.

 

Dressed in a yellow Kaftan and a cap and flanked by operatives of the EFCC, the former CBN Governor arrived at the courtroom at about 12:30 pm.

Justice Adeniyi had on Monday, reaffirmed his order that the detained former CBN Governor be brought to court today November 8, for the purpose of admitting him to bail.

 

In an ex-parte motion he filed before the court, Emefiele sought an order to compel the EFCC to release him from custody, pending the determination of his fundamental right enforcement suit.

Alternatively, he prayed the court to grant him bail and equally award N5 million against the respondents for breaching his fundamental rights.

Cited as respondents in the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/040/2023, are the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as well as the anti-graft agency itself.

Emefiele’s travails started on June 9 when President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office as the head of the apex bank.

 

He was subsequently arrested at his Lagos residence by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Since then, Emefiele faced a two-count charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition before the Federal High Court in Lagos, as well as a 20-count corruption charge that the Federal Government entered against him and two others before an Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama.