Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has entered a plea of not guilty to a 26-count charge of abuse of office brought against him by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Emefiele, along with his co-defendant Herry Omoile, appeared before a Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday for arraignment. The court remanded Emefiele in the custody of the EFCC pending the determination of his bail application.
Justice Rahman Oshodi, presiding over the case, made the remand order after Emefiele and Omoile both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Emefiele is set to remain in custody until Thursday, when the judge will rule on his bail application. Meanwhile, Omoile has been remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal, urged the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition or on liberal terms, suggesting that the same bail conditions previously granted by Justice Hamzat Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja be imposed.
The EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not oppose the bail application but requested that the court impose conditions ensuring the defendants’ presence for trial.
The charges against Emefiele and Omoile include allegations of accepting gratification, receiving gifts through agents, corruption, fraudulent property receipts, and conferring corrupt advantages on associates, all contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
It is worth noting that Emefiele is also facing prosecution by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his tenure as CBN governor.
