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BBC Pidgin of Friday, 17 November 2023

Source: BBC

Court say make dem keep Godwin Emefiele for Kuje prison

File foto of Emefiele for court File foto of Emefiele for court

Di federal high court wey sit for Abuja, Nigeria capital don order make dem keep former Govnor of di Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefiele for Kuje correctional facility.

Dis na afta di federal goment bin reduce di charges dem sama against di former CBN boss to six count charges surrounding procurement.

Justice Hamza Muazu wey deliver di judgement on 17, November Friday tok say make Emefiele dey di correctional center till dem go hear im bail application.

Before, na 20 count charges dem first sama Emefiele otop accuse of fraud to di tune of N6.5 billion but dem later reduce am go six count charges wey dey around N1.6billion.

Di charges against Emefiele

Emefiele bin approach di court before say make dem grant am bail afta im plead not guilty to di previous charges against am. Upon say dem reduce im count charges, na still ontop alleged procurement fraud dem dey drag Emefiele for and na only im be di defendant.

According to di federal goment, Emefiele bin illegally buy 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020 wey worth N1.2 billion.

Dem also accuse Emefiele say im award contract for di procurement of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles wey di worth enta N854 million, but e deny am.

For anoda charge, dem accuse say Emefiele use im position to helep one Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro wey be staff of di CBN and also director for April 1616 Investment Ltd, to get advantage for contract award.

Di contract na di supply of one Toyota Avalon wey cost N99,900,000 wey dem award give only Yaro and im company. Di court say Emefiele commit offence for dis one wey im do, but still pleaded not guilty.

FG also accuse say Emefiele still award anoda contract give dat same April1616 Investment Ltd and e dey contrary to Section 19 of di Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Di contract na di supply of one Toyota Landcruiser V8 for 2019 wey cost N73 million.

Anoda charge be say, di former CBN govnor still illegally award a Toyota Landcruiser V8 valued N73,800,000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd, same company wey Yaro be director.

FG also sama Emefiele say im award car contract to Yaro. Di company supply two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification Vehicles wey cost N44,200,000 for 2020.

Di court adjourn di case go November 22 wey dem go rule ontop di bail application of Emefiele, but Emefiele go dey remanded for Kuje correctional facility till wen di court go attend to im bail application.

Dem still set November 28 as day wey dem go continue with di trial of di case.

How tins bin waka

After ova 100 days for custody of Nigeria goment security agencies, High Court of di Federal Capital Territory, on Wednesday 8 November give Emefiele, bail.

Di court order make Emefiele go home, even though say Nigeria goment through im Attorney General of di Federation, AGF, and di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, bin no want am to leave dia custody.

Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi, wey grant di bail say make dem immediately release Emefiele to im lawyers, wey im give di responsibility to bring am come back court on 15 November.

E also say oga Emefiele must to drop all im travel document before di chief registrar of di court.

Adeniyi base im decision on di fact say di former bank govnor over stay for goment custody pass di time wey im suppose stay according to law. Come add say detention without trial no fit last forever, e must get end.

Justice Adeniyi say di decision to send am home dey in di best interest of justice and fair play, especially according to di provision of section 35 of Nigeria Constitution.

Di industrial action by di Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, no make court siddon on 15 November till dis Friday 17 November.

Emefiele palava

Since di end of 2022 former CBN Govnor, Godwin Emefiele begin enta news for some of im policies wey no go well wit Nigerians.

One of dis policies na di naira redesign policy.

Dis policy bin give deadline wen pipo go stop to use di old naira notes as Emefiele tok say dem suppose to dey change naira notes evri 5-8 years.

Di policy also restrict pipo on how much dem fit withdraw from bank as cash.

For inside di same policy, Emefiele say pipo no go fit withdraw pass N20,000 naira a day from ATM.

Dis policy cause beta gbege and suffering across Nigeria as a result of naira scarcity.

E also lead to protests and deaths for some parts of di kontri.

Na Supreme Court for Nigeria na im over turn Emefiele policy and extend di deadline for di old naira notes to 31 December, 2023 - di new CBN boss don tok for November 2023 say di use of di old naira notes no longer get deadline.

President Bola Tinubu no waste time to suspend Emefiele as e become president.

Afta dat, di Department of State Services (DSS) confam say e dey dia custody.

Emefiele lawyers bin challenge im long detention by DSS, di secret police on July 13, 2023 announce say dem charge am to court.

Emefiele bin plead "not guilty" to di two counts of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition wey di federal goment bin file against am wen e appear before Justice Oweibo.

On 25 July 2023, officials of di DSS re-arrest di suspended govnor immediately afta court bin grant am bail.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo grant am bail afta listening to di submissions of Emefiele counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN).

Di judge reject federal goment claim say Emefiele na flight risk. E rule say goment fail to provide any fact to support im claim.

Oweibo bin order make dem keep Emefiele for correctional centre pending wen e fulfil im bail conditions.

But dia and den, DSS carry Emefiele comot from court afta dem suppress officials of di Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) wey court bin handover di former CBN oga.

Dis drama happun inside di Federal High court compound for Lagos afta Justice Nicholas Oweibo bin don grant bail to Emefiele to di tune of N20m.

Later for August, DSS withdrew im charges against Emefiele. Dem free am for October but di anti-graft commission detain am di same day dem free am.