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Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has approved Godwin Emefiele’s plea to travel outside the FCT, with the condition that he must stay within the country.
Initially confined to the FCT under bail terms, Emefiele sought a variation through his lawyer, Matthew Bukka, SAN. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, raised no objections but emphasized the importance of Emefiele providing an undertaking to remain in the country.
Additionally, the charges against the former CBN governor have been amended to include criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud, and conspiracy to commit felony, now totaling 20 charges instead of the initial 6.
Recall on December 24, 2023, the court granted Godwin Emefiele bail amounting to N300 million with two sureties in a matching sum. Confirming his release from the Kuje Correctional Centre, Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated that the bail conditions were fulfilled by the legal team.
Emefiele faced a six-count charge related to procurement fraud and allegedly using his influence to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Yaro, a CBN staff. The charges pertained to the awarding of a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.
During his remand in Kuje, Emefiele was required to surrender all travel documents to the court registrar and restrict his movements to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The trial for the alleged vehicle procurement is currently underway before Justice Hamza Muazu.
