Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, on Wednesday, granted bail to the detained Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele
The court, in a ruling that was delivered by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, ordered that he should be released to his lawyers.
“There must be an end to detention without trial” the judge held, stressing that it was the refusal of the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission, EFCC, to comply with the order the court made on November 2, that led to the ruling.
Besides, the court held that it could not allow Emefiele to remain in custody owing to claim of the Federal Government that he would on November 15, be arraigned on a fresh charge.
The court also ordered the lawyers to ensure that Emefiele is produced for arraignment whenever he is needed and that his international passport should be deposited before the court.
It held that the claim was speculative as there was nothing to establish that the planned arraignment would hold as scheduled.
The court noted that a purported remand order that FG’s lawyer tendered before it, which was signed by an Abuja Chief Magistrate, bore conflicting dates.
“A very crucial fact that this court cannot overlook is the Applicant’s claim that he has been incarcerated for a period of upward of 151 days without trial,” Justice Adeniyi said
