Our reporter/ Suspended governor of Nigerian central bank, Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to two counts of illegal possession of firearms following his arraignment at the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Emefiele was arraigned before the vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, after over six weeks since his arrest and detention by the state police.
Emefiele, who was brought to court by DSS operatives in a hilux vehicle pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu, led other lawyers in Emefiele’s defence.
After Emefiele’s plea, Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that his client has been in detention for weeks. He also told Justice Oweibo that the application for bail has been filed and served on the prosecution.
The former apex bank chief would later ask the court to admit him to bail on self recognizance but the court has not ruled on the matter.
The DSS, however, raised objections to the court hearing the bail application, insisting that it has not been served.
President Bola Tinubu had suspended Emefiele as the apex bank chief on June 9, 2023. A day after, the DSS confirmed that the embattled, suspended CBN chief was in its custody.
An Abuja High Court on July 13, 2023 subsequently ordered that the secret police charge Emefiele to court within one week or release him.
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