Justice Olukayode Adeniji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has reaffirmed his earlier order to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unconditionally release Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), or present him for bail.
Adeniji's order on Monday followed the failure of the anti-graft agency to produce the defendant in court in defiance of last Thursday’s order.
At resumption of hearing, the respondent counsel told the court that the applicant failed to attach the necessary documents to enable them to respond.
When the court inquired if the applicant was in possession of the order for Emefiele’s unconditional, respondent counsel responded in the negative, admitting that the affidavit filed by the applicant was not attached with the exhibits.
The court, however, observed that the excuse by the respondents was not strong enough to flout the order.
Consequently, it reiterated that the CBN ex-governor should be immediately released unconditionally or produced in court for bail on the next adjourned date.
The court, while directing the applicant counsel to exchange the necessary documents with the respondent counsel before the next meeting, thereafter, adjourned to November 8 for hearing of the pending motion.
The judge had given the order last week following a motion ex parte by Emefiele’s legal team.
Listed as defendants in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/040/2023/M/122/2023 are the Federal Government, Attorney General of the Federation, EFCC and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Ruling on the application, Justice Adeniji had held: “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.”
The EFCC arrested Emefiele on October 27 immediately after he was released from custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), where he had been kept since June 10.
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