LAGOS, Nigeria — Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, sought bail on self-recogniance at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
The federal government has pressed charges against him, with the determination of these charges pending.
Emefiele’s defense team, led by former Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, President Joseph Daudu and ten other lawyers, including five Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, filed the bail application.
The case has been assigned to Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
In the nine-ground application, Emefiele denied the gun possession-related charge leveled against him. He insisted that he poses neither a flight risk nor a threat to abscond if granted bail.
As the legal proceedings unfold, a controversy is brewing between the Department of State Services, DSS, and Emefiele’s legal team.
The DSS alleged on its official Twitter handle that Maxwell Okpara, who it identifies as a lawyer for the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, represents Emefiele.
The tweet claimed that Okpara has rallied other lawyers against DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi.
A Biafran Republic agitator and Outlawed IPOB counsel defending the suspended CBN Governor. Is IPOB defending one of theirs???? What a contradiction…..hmmm…what's the connection? Is someone telling us something? May Maxwell be properly educated on points of law, please.
— Department of State Services (DSS) (@OfficialDSSNG) July 18, 2023
The tweet read: “Charge and bail, overzealous uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara mobilises other like-minded lawyers against DGSS. Futile Efforts. Well, Nigerians, beware! This is in bad faith. Transferred aggression. A Biafran Republic agitator and outlawed IPOB counsel defending the suspended CBN governor. Is IPOB defending one of theirs? What a contradiction. Hmmm. What’s the connection? Is someone telling us something? May Maxwell be properly educated on points of law, please.”
The controversial tweet raises fresh questions about the political overtones of Emefiele’s case and the potentially complicated dynamics it could introduce into his legal defense.
As the saga unfolds, the entire nation watches, waiting to see how the judiciary will handle this high-stakes case.
Nigeria’s Secret Police Reveals Plans to Charge Emefiele
The Department of State Services, DSS, has brought formal charges against the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
In a statement released on Thursday, July 13, 2023, DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya announced the legal action, affirming that the decision to charge Emefiele complied with an order from the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
However, the exact nature of the charges was not detailed in Afunanya’s announcement.
This latest development is a significant move in the ongoing legal saga involving Emefiele, who has been under suspension since allegations of misconduct arose earlier this year.
The specifics of the alleged misconduct have not been publicly disclosed, though it is understood that they pertain to Emefiele’s conduct during his tenure as the head of the Central Bank.
Emefiele’s suspension, announced several months ago, marked an abrupt halt in what had been a lengthy career in Nigeria’s financial sector.
Prior to his appointment as Central Bank Governor, Emefiele served as the chief executive of Zenith Bank, one of Nigeria’s largest commercial banks.
This high-profile case is being closely monitored both domestically and internationally, given Emefiele’s prominent position in the Nigerian banking sector and the potential implications for the country’s financial stability.
As of now, the timeline for the court proceedings is uncertain.
The DSS has pledged to respect due process throughout the proceedings.
“We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that justice is served,” Afunanya stated in his announcement. “As always, we shall act in the nation’s best interest.”
Emefiele, for his part, has yet to comment publicly on the charges.
