A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed the charges of illegal firearm and ammunition possession that were filed against Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The court’s decision followed an application from the Federal Government to withdraw the charges, citing the need for further investigations due to emerging facts. The charges were struck out by Justice Nicholas Oweibo on Thursday due to lack of diligent prosecution.
Meanwhile, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, the planned arraignment of Emefiele on a fresh 20-count charge was postponed. This delay was attributed to the absence of one of the defendants involved in the case.
During the proceedings in Lagos, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, orally presented the withdrawal application on Tuesday.
While the government sought the court’s permission to withdraw the charges, Emefiele’s legal counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), contested the application. Daudu argued that the government’s request should not be entertained by the court since it was allegedly in violation of a previous court order that granted Emefiele bail. Daudu also asserted that any application to withdraw charges should be formally submitted in writing.
Notably, Emefiele had been granted N20 million bail on July 25 after being arraigned on two counts of illegal firearm and ammunition possession. The recent court developments have raised questions about the status of the charges against him and the need for thorough investigation before any further legal action can proceed.
