News
BREAKING: There must be an end to detention, angry judge chides FG on Emefiele *Orders bail of ex-CBN boss
Relief may finally be coming for Godwin Emefiele, embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), following another bail granted him this time by a Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, the second time since his arrest on June 10, 2023, a day after he was suspended by President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Olukayode, ruling on a bail application filed lawyers to the former CBN boss, ordered the Federal Government to release him to his lawyers, exactly 152 days after he was arrested by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), on June 10.
Apart from ordering that Emefiele must be brought to court for arraignment whenever he was needed, the court, also ordered that his international passport should be deposited before the court, adding that there must be an end to detention, without trial.
“The court must also not overlook the fact that he has been in detention for 151 days and the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation must abide by court order,” he said while adjourning the substantive motion on notice as well as the preliminary objection, to November 17, 2023 for hearing.
Hours after his suspension by Tinubu on his 12th day in office, men of the DSS were pictured taking the former CBN boss into a private jet after his arrest in Lagos and flown to their facility in Abuja, where he had been since June 10, a situation the court frowned at during its sitting on Wednesday.
The apex bank’s boss was initially granted bail on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, of the Federal High Court Lagos, after Emefiele, 61, pleaded “not guilty” to the two counts of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition filed against him by the Federal Government.
In a fierce encounter the DSS seized him from the hands of men of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), to whom he was handed over to the court, pending the perfection of his bail, and taken away once again, only for the same agency to withdraw its charges against the nation’s former number one banker.
Against back and forth claims of a plea bargain and denial of same, the DSS officially freed him on October 26, but as he was stepping out apparently with the joy of breathing the air of freedom, he was again seized by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and detained once again.
Following a fresh action to press for the enforcement of his fundamental rights, the court had ordered that he be freed or be properly arraigned, an order which the EFCC obeyed in breach on Monday, before finally succumbing on Wednesday.
Dressed in a yellow Kaftan and a cap and flanked by operatives of the EFCC, the former CBN governor arrived at the courtroom at about 12:30 pm on Wednesday, looking unruffled and waving at the crowd comprising of family members and other onlookers.
Mathew Burkaa, his lawyer, who applied the former CBN boss be admitted to bail on liberal terms, having been in the custody of security agencies for 151 days, had relied on the provisions of Section 35 (4a and b) of the 1999 constitution to press for his rights to freedom.
But, objecting to the application, Onyi Koleosho, representing the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Federal Government, pointed out that Emefiele was transferred to the custody of the EFCC on October 26, which was not up to two months, adding that a hearing notice had already been issued by the court to the effect that he would be arraigned on November 15, 2023, in respect of a pending charge filed by the office of the AGF.
Pleading for the court to decline the application in the interest of justice, and to avoid a situation where the scheduled arraignment may interfere with investigations.
He added that releasing the former apex bank’s boss would pose further problems and difficulties for the prosecution to get him to attend court next week, for his arraignment, a position Farouk Abdallah, lawyer to the EFCC also agreed with, even though he acknowledged that the issue of bail is at the discretion of the court.
Again countering Emefiele’s lawyer argued that his he had not been served any charge to date, assuring that the former CBN governor is not a flight risk and did not have the capacity to stop his arraignment by the Federal Government next week, adding that Nigeria would lose nothing by granting him bail from detention where he had been all the while.
During the proceeding, Emefiele, who was also given the room to address the court, explained that no charge was formally brought against him from when his ordeal began till date.
Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, seems to find merit in the damning verdict of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), accusing security agencies in Nigeria of complicity in the deluge of terrorist attacks in the country.
Jare Ajayi, National Secretary of the group, in agreeing with the position, posited on Wednesday: “This is because of the strong belief that the nature of terrorism bedeviling Nigeria would not be festering for this long without complicity from some powerful quarters.”
Though he acknowledged the determination of some patriotic operatives and government to stem the tide, he posited how difficult it was to believe that the activities of the terrorists would continue to thrive without active connivance.
Hear him: “With the vows by the President and top security officers, one has the feeling that the government is determined to end terrorism in Nigeria. When President Bola Tinubu appointed General Christopher Musa, (retd), as Minister of Defence, we had a lot of hope that within months, a total stop would be put to terrorism and banditry in the country.
“Unfortunately, there seems to be a spike, rather than reduction. The reason for this could be rooted in sabotage and complicity from within and from without. This tends to buttress the alarm raised by the US Commission.”
Stressing how the organisation been consistently calling the attention of authorities to areas that needed be looked into he maintained that these included politicians, who could be complicit in promoting the urgly situation.
Citing the recent comments by Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, who pointed in the same direction, Ajayi stated that no matter how unpalatable the position of the US body could be: “It is very important not to dismiss it but to use it a beacon with which to comb all areas.”
“Many people doubted us. Some dismissed us. Others predicted confusion, division, and even outright collapse. But you stood firm. You kept faith with the ADC. And today, because of your commitment, our party stands taller, stronger, and more united.”
With these words, David Mark, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday’s night showered praises on members for conducting what he considered a flawless presidential primary election to choose its candidate for the 2027 election.
Mark, Senate President from 2007 to 2015, his audience at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, that by the outcome, the party had demonstrated that democracy and political competition could still thrive in Nigeria without crisis or division.
Regardless of the rejection of the result of the exercise by Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), who contested in the exercise, the former Chairman of the National Assembly, was still upbeat about its outcome.
Atiku Abubakar, Vice President between 1999 and 2007, had emerged winner of the process that took place across Nigeria from Monday till Wednesday, when the result was eventually announced.
The declared result showed that the former VP who would be running for the nation’s number one job for a record seven times came tops with Atiku 1,846,370, to Amaechi’s 504,117 and Hayat-Deen’s 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457 in the 3,113,599 tally.
Mark, who officially presented the ADC flag to Atiku as the party’s presidential standard-bearer, was emphatic that the exercise was not merely about producing a presidential candidate but about proving that internal democracy could still function effectively in the country.
Hear him: “Today is not just about announcing a presidential candidate. Today is also about proving a point to Nigeria and to Nigerians. It is about proving that democracy can still work.
“Proving that political competition does not have to become political warfare. That a party can organise itself around principles instead of personalities. This event has shown that in a season of deep national anxiety, a bright future is still possible.”
Stressing that had doubted the party’s ability to conduct a peaceful and credible primary, with some predicting division and collapse within the ADC, he praised members of the Presidential Screening Committee and Presidential Primary Election Committee for what he described as their professionalism and commitment to fairness despite pressure surrounding the exercise.
“In the face of enormous pressure, logistical complexity, and intense national attention, they carried out their responsibilities with courage, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and transparency. The conduct of the primary has strengthened confidence in the party and its democratic process.
“Their work has strengthened the credibility of this exercise and reinforced the confidence of our members and the Nigerian people in the integrity of the African Democratic Congress.
“It is important to mention that we are the only political party to have three strong aspirants contest for the presidential ticket. This alone makes the ADC unique in its deep commitment to democracy and democratic practices.
“By subjecting themselves to this process, they did not merely contest an election. They strengthened democracy. And despite efforts in some quarters to create uncertainty and tension, they remained committed to this process and to the ideals of this party,” he added.
For Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), it was another day of glory, as Alex Otti, Governor of Abia laid out another red carpet for her in lieu of her starling performance in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The university don, was the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who was nationally recognised for standing her ground against forces that reportedly tried to skew the process, leading to the emergence of Otti as governor.
Since then, she had received several recognitions including from the governor and other bodies, including her own students at FUTO, who gave her a heroic welcome upon the conclusion of her INEC task – the first and only one to be so accorded in Nigeria.
Wednesday’s recognition came through the naming of the newly inaugurated Umuahia Central Bus Terminal, a multimodal transport facility in the state capital after her, by the governor, who said it was in recognition of her role in that exercise.
Otti, who stressed that the decision was informed by her act of courage, integrity and commitment to truth, said: “This terminal has been named after Professor Nnenna Nnannaya-Oti, the courageous INEC returning officer who demonstrated unflinching integrity in the discharge of her duties during a high-stakes election assignment here in Abia.”
The governor, while stating that the honour was not limited to don alone but symbolised all individuals who resisted electoral manipulation added: “In 2023, through her courageous disposition of standing firmly by the truth… she reminded us that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results by simply saying no.
“So she’s just a representative of all of you—INEC staff who never bent, party officials who didn’t give in, security agencies… people who said no to intimidation.”
Stressing that the state had moved beyond basic infrastructure delivery to building an integrated transport system, he said: “The days of playing small is over. We shall no longer confine ourselves to the margins.”
He explained that the terminal was designed to accommodate over 340 buses and would improve accessibility, safety and efficiency in urban transport operations, adding that it would be supported by electric bus services, with 20 already in operation, while additional units are expected in phases.
“Services will keep improving as more buses are delivered… and you can tell with accuracy when a particular bus will arrive and depart,” he said.
He urged residents to protect the facility and support government efforts by maintaining order and paying taxes, warning against vandalism, waste disposal violations and other practices that could undermine the project, stressing that offenders would face sanctions.
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
News2 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Features4 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
Columns1 week agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING! Coast brightens for Obi, as NDC zones presidency to South
-
News2 weeks agoGowon on civil war: My book is to put records straight, remove falsehood