Court grants ex-CBN governor, Emefiele’s travel request

Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele’s request to travel out of the FCT.

The court said Emefiele must, however, remain in the country.

On his bail terms, he was restricted to the FCT.

Emefiele, through his lawyer, Mathew Bukka, SAN, had requested a variation of the terms.

The Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not object.

He told the court to ensure that Emefiele wrote an undertaking that he would remain in the country if his plea was granted.

The charge against the former governor of the CBN was also amended to 20 from 6.

The amended charges against Emefiele now includes criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery,  procurement fraud and conspiracy to commit felony.

Emefiele was arraigned before the court on November 17, 2023, on a six-count charge bordering on conferring advantage on a female staff member of CBN, contrary to the provision of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

In the charge marked CR/577/2023, Emefiele was accused of using his position as CBN governor to award six different contracts to one Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, a CBN staff member, between 2018 and 2020 to the tune of N1,210,600,000.

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The procurement contracts were awarded to a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero is a director.

Emefiele, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.