- The case that was adjourned by vacation judge, Justice Hamza Muazu last week was not listed on the court’s cause list
- Emefiele and his co-defendant, Ms Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro were not in court
The scheduled arraignment of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), along with Ms Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, on charges of corruption and conspiracy has been stalled once again.
The case that was adjourned by vacation judge, Justice Hamza Muazu last week was not listed on the court’s cause list this morning, August 23.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Ms Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro were not in court.
The heavy security that characterised the presence of Emefiele last week was absent today while lawyers from all the parties were also not in court.
It was gathered at the court room that the arraignment was shifted at the instance of the detained CBN Chief.
According to Daily Post, sources confided in the news medium that Emefiele and his-co accused, Saadat Yaro, have opted for a plea bargain policy to settle with the Federal Government.
Emefiele’s lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kehinde Akinlolu, confirmed the shift in the arraignment.
He said that a new date may likely be issued by the Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf.
At the time of this report, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, who used to escort him to court, and his legal team were absent.
Meanwhile, the court has commenced proceedings on other matters on the cause list.
In another development, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and activist, has demanded that the Department of State Services (DSS) release Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), from custody because the remand order on him has since become spent and invalid.
Falana said a remand order issued by a Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory “has become spent, invalid and illegal as no magistrate has the power under section 493 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 or section 35 of the Constitution of Nigeria to authorise the detention of a criminal suspect for 67 days without trial.”
Falana made the claim in a press statement issued on Sunday. He further asked the Federal Government to ensure that the rights of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele and Bawa are respected by the DSS and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Falana however stated that “the plight of both suspects should be a lesson for all public officers in Nigeria who always behave as if there will be no tomorrow. However, the Government which rules by law is under a legal obligation not to breach the fundamental rights of citizens except in a manner prescribed by the Constitution of Nigeria”.
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