Victor Ezeja
Embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who has been behind bars since his arrest by the DSS in June, has now regained freedom from the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Emefiele was released on Friday afternoon after meeting bail conditions set by the FCT High Court where he is being prosecuted by the federal government over alleged procurement fraud.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Justice Hamza Muazu-led court had on November 22 granted bail to Emefiele in the sum of N300 million, requesting him as well to produce two sureties in like sum who would have certificates of occupancy and titles of properties within the Maitama district in Abuja.
Emefiele was charged alongside a female employee of CBN, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment. He is accused of using his position to confer corrupt advantage on Yaro by awarding a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.
They include 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N854.7 million, one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9 million, one Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73.8 million, two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification vehicles at the cost of N44,200,000.
The former CBN governor, who was also alleged to have awarded Yaro a contract for the procurement of two Toyota Landcruiser VXR V8 worth N138 million, pleaded “not guilty” to the amended charge.
Spokesperson for the correctional centre, Adamu Duza confirmed the release of Emefiele from prison to newsmen today, disclosing that the former central banker regained freedom on Friday afternoon.
His release came amid revelations of his performance in office, in which case the report by Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed on July 30 by President Bola Tinubu to probe the CBN under Emefiele, showed an alleged abuse of office.
While the former CBN governor is said to have used proxies to purchase Union Bank while in office, he was equally accused of compromising the process that led to the acquisition of Polaris and Keystone banks.
