….. regains freedom on bail
By: Editor
The embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, will not be celebrating the Christmas and New Year at the Kuje Correctional Centre
He was released on Friday, December 22, 2023 after meeting his N300 million bail condition.
The spokesperson for the Kuje Correctional Centre, FCT, Adamu Duza, confirmed the news on Saturday, stating that Emefiele had met his bail conditions and had no reason to stay in the facility.
It will be recalled that he has been remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre until he fulfilled the bail conditions., despite objections from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),
Justice Muazu, who presided over the case, disagreed that Emefiele posed a flight risk or could jeopardise the investigation. After granting bail, the judge scheduled the trial on November 28.
Emefiele faced six counts related to procurement fraud amounting to N1.2bn. The Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, who probed the Central Bank, reported that Emefiele and others embezzled billions and committed financial offenses.
The report, submitted to President Bola Tinubu on December 9, 2023, alleged fraudulent cash withdrawals of $6.23 million, fraud in the redesign of the naira, and the retention of 543.4 million pounds in the United Kingdom during Emefiele’s tenure from June 2014 to June 2023.
