Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has entered a plea of not guilty to a 26-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, alleging abuse of office.
In a Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday, Emefiele was remanded in EFCC custody following his arraignment before Justice Rahman Oshodi.
Justice Oshodi ordered the remand after Emefiele and his co-defendant, Herry Omoile, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Emefiele will remain in custody until Thursday, pending the Judge’s decision on his bail application. Meanwhile, Omoile has been remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Abdulakeem Ladi-Lawal, requested bail for his client, suggesting self-recognition or liberal terms. He urged the court to impose similar bail conditions granted by another court in Abuja.
The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, did not oppose the bail application but requested conditions ensuring the defendants’ appearance in court.
The charges against Emefiele include accepting gratification, receiving gifts through agents, corruption, fraudulent property receipts, and conferring corrupt advantages on associates, as stated in the charge filed on April 3rd by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
Emefiele is concurrently facing prosecution by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his tenure as governor of the CBN.
