How Emefiele’s arraignment stalled twice in one week

The arraignment of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, over alleged procurement fraud was stalled for the second time in one week.

Emefiele and one Mrs Sa’adatu Yaro were to be arraigned last week Thursday before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, for allegedly breaching the procurement Act in respect of the purchase of some vehicles but the arraignment could not go on because of the reported ill health of Mrs Yaro.

Trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, subsequently adjourned to Wednesday August 23 for arraignment.

However, on the said adjourned date, Emefiele, his co-defendant, his lawyers and that of the prosecution were not present in court.

Similarly, a check on the case list for the day showed that Emefiele’s case was not among the cases the court would handle for the day.

Meanwhile, one of the senior lawyers defending Emefiele, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, told THISDAY that the matter would not come up, adding, “they will communicate the new date” for arraignment.

However, a lawyer not in the team of the suspended governor, told journalists who had besieged the court premises for coverage that Emefiele was not in court because “they are talking with the federal government”.

President Bola Tinubu had shortly after assumption of office suspended Emefiele as CBN governor over alleged infractions and breach of trust.

Emefiele was then arrested on June 10, and later arraigned a month after on a two count charge of alleged unlawful possession of firearms before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Although, he pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail, the Department of State Service (DSS) refused to recognize the bail claiming that Emefiele still has other charges to answer.

The DSS last week withdrew the two count charge and filed a fresh 20 count charge bordering on breach of procurement laws.

But the arraignment last week was however stalled.

Meanwhile, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Wednesday struck out two separate cases filed by two siblings of Emefiele, George and Okanta Emefiele.

The Emefiele brothers had separately approached the court, seeking, among other reliefs, an order of perpetual injunction restraining the DSS from inviting, intimidating, harassing, and arresting or detaining them in relation “to matters or body of matters which relates to the ongoing investigation of Emefiele and/or matters outside the constitutional and statutory mandate of the 1st respondent (DSS)”.

The applicants in the two separate matter had joined the Department of State Service and the Attorney-General of the Federation as respondents.

At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel for the applicants, Grace Ehusani, informed the court that the applicants separately filed notice of discountenance of the case, though she did not give any reasons for the application.

While not apposing the application, counsel for the DSS, Ibrahim Awo, urged the court to dismissed the case, instead of striking it out as requested by the applicants’ counsel.

He then asked for a substantial cost against the applicants in favour of the respondents.

Counsel for the AGF, Maimuma Lami-Sheru aligned herself with the submission of the DSS counsel and asked for a N2 million cost.

In his bench ruling, the vacation judge, Justice E Okpe, dismissed the cases without cost.

(This Day)