A High Court siting in Maitama, Abuja, has granted the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, bail in the sum of N300 million and two sureties in like sum.
Justice Hamza Muazu in a ruling on Wednesday said the sureties must have landed property with certificates of occupancy and titles of properties within the Maitama District.
Emefiele, who was not in court during today’s proceedings having been remanded in Kuje Prison last week is expected to remain in the correctional facility till he meets his bail conditions.
He was mandated to deposit all his travel documents with the registrar of the court and must remain within the Abuja Municipal Council.
The court adjourned the case till November 28 for the commencement of trial.
Today’s ruling comes four months after the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos granted him bail in the sum of N20 million and two weeks after another High Court in Abuja ordered his release in a fundamental human rights suit he instituted against the federal government.
Emefiele was arraigned by the Federal Government last Friday on a six-count charge bordering on alleged procurement fraud. He is the only defendant in the suit.
His original 20 counts to the tune of N6.5 billion, was reduced to six, to the tune of N1.6 billion.
The Federal Government alleged that Emefiele illegally bought 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 worth N1.2 billion. He was also accused of awarding a contract for the procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles valued at N854 million.
Count one read, “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence.”
In the second count, Emefiele was accused of using his position to corruptly confer an advantage on Yaro, “a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is Director and thereby committed an offence.”
He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 April1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019 at the cost of N73 million.
The fourth count was about a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 awarded illegally to April1616 Investment Ltd.
Emefiele is also accused by the FG of awarding a contract to Yaro for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000 in 2020.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
