A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted bail to Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The presiding judge, Nicholas Oweibo, in a ruling on Tuesday, granted the embattled suspended CBN governor bail in the sum of N20 million, saying the charges against are bailable.
The bail was granted with one surety, The Cable reports.
Earlier, Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge bordering on alleged illegal possession of firearms preferred against him.
The Court had earlier rejected the Federal Government’s claim that it had not received a copy of the bail application filed by Emefiele, in his alleged gun possession trial.
Justice Oweibo held that there was evidence that the government was served.
The bail application was filed by Emefiele’s lawyers led by Mr. J. B. Dauda SAN.
Dauda had prayed the court to hear the banker’s application seeking bail on self-recognizance, noting that his client had fulfilled all the conditions necessary to make the application ripe for hearing.
He noted further that the proof of service endorsed by the AGF’s office was in the court’s file.
Dauda also urged the court to end the oppression of his client by the Department of State Security (DSS) which arrested him and hear the bail application.
“There should be an end to oppression,” he said.
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But the government’s lawyer, a Deputy Director of Prosecution (DDPP), told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that she had “not been given the bail application. As I stand here, I have not set eyes on it.”
Emefiele is standing trial on a two-count charge which accuses him of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence on June 15 at Ikoyi.
The Federal Government, which is prosecuting him, maintained that the offence was contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, 2004, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.
In the second count, the suspended CBN Governor was accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a licence, which was contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.
Emefiele was brought to Court on Tuesday in a Toyota Hilux vehicle by DSS officials.
Before his arrival hooded DSS operatives had taken over the court premises. Some came as early as 7am, well over two hours before Emefiele’s arrival.
The courtroom where he is arraigned is very small and journalists were not allowed inside.
But an unidentified lady court clerk came out to order journalists to stop recording but was ignored since the cameramen were not inside the courtroom.
But there was calm in the environment.
Emefiele was clean shaving and casually dressed and he walked by himself into the courtroom.
