JUST IN: EFCC Produces Emefiele In Court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday, produced the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele who has been in their detention for days.

Recall last week the Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the FCT High Court in Abuja, ordered EFCC to either release Emefiele immediately or produce him in court on 6 November.

He gave the order after hearing Mr Emefiele’s ex parte motion, marked M/122/2023 in a suit with the number, FCT/HC/CV/040/2023 filed by Emefiele.

Emefiele was first detained by the State Security Service (SSS) on 10 June a day after he was removed from office by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and later transferred to EFCC about a week later.

Meanwhile, the reasons the commission gave for its inability to produce him in the first place was explained in the previous sitting. 

The Commission first noted that the ex-CBN governor was only in their custody for seven days, adding that, “We got the processes that were filed before this court and we intend to react to them so as to set the record straight.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to do so because the processes that were received by the 3rd and 4th Respondents were incomplete.

“We are not insinuating that it was deliberate. It may be inadvertent on the part of the counsel for the Applicant.

“Certain exhibits they referred to, particularly exhibit E, were not attached,” the EFCC lawyer explained. 

The judge asked the lawyer to explain to the court, if the absence of the exhibit was sufficient reason for the Commission to disobey an order of the court.

The judge said: “I made an order and it was very clear. Are you telling the court that because an affidavit was not attached, that was why you refused to comply with orders I made on November 2.”

However, the EFCC lawyer, Abdullah said the anti-graft agency misunderstood the court order.

He said: “My lord, we thought that the order was that we should either release him unconditionally or bring him to the court today so that the bail application will be heard.

“The 3rd Respondent is a law abiding establishment that has utmost respect for this court and will not flout orders of this court

“As such, we pray the court to direct the Applicant to furnish us with all the processes to enable us to make the appropriate response.”

The judge then ordered Emefiele’s lawyer to serve the requested exhibit on the EFCC: “The court hereby restates the order it made on November 2 for the Applicant to be released unconditionally or alternatively, produce him in court on the next adjourned date for purpose of admitting him to bail,” he said. 

Meanwhile, in compliance with the order, the agency, on Wednesday, brought the embattled ex-CBN governor before the court.