Baring any last minute changes, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele will today, Tuesday, July 25, 2023, be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The embattled governor of Nigeria’s apex bank, Emefiele, was suspended from office on June 9, 2023
Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who will be sitting as the vacation judge for the entire South-West, fixed the date on Friday and the information has since been communicated to lawyers of all the parties, Channels Television had reported.
Confirming the development, one of the lawyers to the embattled CBN Governor, Victor Opara (SAN), disclosed that hearing notices to that effect had been issued and sent out by the court to the counsel involved in the matter, according to Channels Television.
He also confirmed that the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association Joseph Daudu (SAN), would lead Emefiele’s defence team.
The Department of State Services had on July 13, 2023 filed a two-count chargesof illegal processions of firearm and ammunition against the suspended CBN governor.
The DSS in the charge sheet accused Emefiele of possessing a single-barrelled shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence.
In the second count, the Service charged him with illegally possessing 23 rounds of live ammunition (cartridges) without a licence. The offence is also said to be contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.
Emefiele was suspended from office as CBN governor on June 9, 2023 and was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) the fllowinday, on June 10, 2023
The State Security Service (SSS), which has been holding Mr Emefiele in custody since June 10, had filed the charges on Thursday (13 July), the same day a judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja gave the agency a one-week ultimatum to either charge him to court or release him.
During the Buhari administration, Mr Emefiele pursued an unpopular naira redesign policy that brought untold hardship to many Nigerians.
The policy which mopped up cash in Nigeria’s financial system, put him on the line of vicious criticism from many Nigerian for his poor handling of the naira swap policy,
President Tinubu, who was then campaigning for office ahead of the last presidential election in February also added his voice to the criticism, saying that the policy was targeted at him so as to prevent him from winning the election.
