The Federal Government is set to arraign former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, on an amended 20-Count Charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Friday.
The amended charge, filed by counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo and three others on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation, includes new counts related to the alleged fraudulent award of contracts to Emefiele’s wife, Omoile Margret, his brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo, and other associates.
Emefiele had initially faced a 6-count charge in August 2023, filed by the Government, to which he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by Justice Hamza Muazu on November 22, 2023.
Today, the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo who confirmed to Channel’s TV that the fresh arraignment will take place tomorrow before Justice Muazu also disclosed that the amended charge was increased from 6 to 20 because it contains new counts relating to fraudulent award of contracts to Emefiele’s wife, Omoile Margret, his brother-in-law, Omoile Macombo & other associates.
The amended charge includes counts on conspiracy to commit forgery, conferring of corrupt advantage, criminal breach of trust among others.
Count 1 of the charge reads, “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000″
The particulars of the offence are that “You, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2019 did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’aclatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarcling a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a Director and you thereby committed an offence.”
Count 7: “Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
The offence particulars are “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emeiele, male, adult, sometime in December, 2014 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to confer a corrupt advantage on your wife, Omoile Margret, and brother-in-law Omoile Macombo by awarding a contract for the total renovation of the CBN Governor’s Residence lying, being and situate at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of Eighty Two Milion, Eighty-Six Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Nine Naira, Thirty Kobo (N 82,086,129.30) to Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders and you thereby committed an offence”.
Count 17: “Conspiracy to commit felony to wit: forgery contrary to section 96 (1) and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990”.
The offence particulars are , “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele male, adult, and Odoh, Eric Ocheme (Still at large) sometime in January, 2023 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court agreed amongst yourselves to cause to be done an illegal act to wit: forgery of a document titled: RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS dated 26 January, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201 and you thereby committed an offence”.
Court Grants Emefiele’s Travel Request, With Conditions
Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele permission to travel outside the FCT while insisting he must stay within the country.
Emefiele through his lawyer, Mathew Bukka, SAN, had requested a variation of his bail terms, which initially restricted him to the FCT.
The Counsel of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, did not object to the request but emphasized the need for Emefiele to provide an undertaking to remain in the country.
The charges against Emefiele were also amended from 6 to 20, which now includes allegations of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, procurement fraud, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Emefiele’s Detention
In June, Godwin Emefiele faced detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) after his suspension as the CBN governor by President Bola Tinubu.
Confirming Emefiele’s arrest, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya stated, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons.”
Emefiele contested his detention by the DSS, seeking justice through the FCT High Court in Abuja. Justice Hamza Muazu, in a ruling on Emefiele’s fundamental human rights suit, issued a one-week ultimatum to the DSS to either charge him to court or set him free.
‘Bail’
The court had on December 24, 2023 granted Emefiele bail in sum of N300 million with two sureties in like sum.
His lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mathew Burkaa, told Channels Television that Emefiele was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre after his lawyers perfected his bail conditions.
Emefiele was arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and using his position to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Yaro, a staff of the CBN, by awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.
While he was remanded in Kuje, Emefiele was mandated to deposit all his travel documents with the registrar of the court and must remain within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
The trial over his alleged procurement of vehicles has already began before Justice Hamza Muazu.
Ada Peter
