The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele has been granted a bail variation which now permits to travel outside of Abuja, the country’s capital by the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
BRANDPOWER that the decision to allow Emefile travel outside Abuja comes after Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Bukka, filed a motion requesting a variation of his bail terms.
In November 2023, Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) granted former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele bail in the sum of three hundred million naira with two sureties in like sum and to deposit his travel documents.
The court also ordered that travel documents be returned to the court and must remain within the jurisdiction of the FCT and that he must seek court leave before any travels
However, the court during today’s ruling allowed Emefiele to leave the country’s capital but ruled that he must remain within the borders of the country.
Emefiele, the CBN governor from 2014 to 2023, has been in legal trouble since June 2023, when he was detained by the State Security Service (SSS) on suspicion of possessing a firearm and live ammunition.
While those charges were later dropped, the Attorney-General of the Federation filed fresh corruption charges against him in August, alleging he conspired with a CBN staff member to award fraudulent contracts worth N6.9 billion.
Earlier on Thursday, the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an amended 20-count charge against the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele in an FCT High Court.
BRANDPOWER reports that EFCC dragged Emefiele to court earlier on six counts bordering on alleged breach of procurement procedure in the award of the contract to April 1616 Investment Limited.
The anti-graft agency had in August 2023, charged Emefiele and Sa’adatu Yaro and a company, April 1616 Investment Limited with breach of the procurement Act in respect of the purchase of some vehicles.
