Justice A.O. Adeniyi of the FCT High Court in Abuja yesterday has ordered an immediate and unconditional release of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge granted the release order after considering Emefiele’s motion.
Alternatively, the court ordered the anti-corruption agency to produce the detainee in court the scheduled date for the hearing of the substantive motion on notice, where he may be considered for bail by the court.
The order followed a motion ex parte filed on October 31, with an accompanying affidavit by Dr. Okanta Emefiele, praying the court for an order directing immediate and unconditional release of his client.
The motion marked M/122/2023 has Emefiele as the plaintiff, while the Federal Republic of Nigeria, attorney general f the federation, the EFCC chairman and the EFCC itself are listed as first to fourth respondents.
“Upon listening to A Labi-Lawal, Esq. (with Olawale Fapohunda, Esq.; Dr. S. M. Oyeghe; I. B. Ahmad, Esq.) of learned counsel for the plaintiff moving in terms of the motion paper, accordingly, the third and fourth respondents are hereby ordered to unconditionally release the applicant from detention forthwith; or in the alternative produce him in court on the date fixed for hearing of the substantive motion on notice for purposes of being admitted to bail by the court.
“Accordingly, it is hereby further ordered that the motion on notice shall be heard on Monday, November 6, by 1pm prompt. The instant order, together with the motion on notice shall be served on the respondents today, November 2,” the judge declared.
