The scheduled Wednesday arraignment of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele for an alleged N6.9 billion procurement scam has once more been postponed.
Due to the absence of both parties’ attorneys from court on Wednesday, the subject was not placed on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court’s cause list in Abuja. It was learned that the suspended head of the top bank appears to have chosen a plea deal with the government.
The second defendant, who was allegedly indisposed, was not present at the scheduled arraignment for the suspended CBN governor, who appeared before the court last Thursday.
Although Sa’adatu Yaro, a female CBN employee who was the second defendant, was not present in court, Emefiele, the first defendant, was. The issue was postponed to August 23, 2023, by the presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, in response to a request for delay.
According to MarketForces Africa, the Nigerian government had originally planned to arraign Emefiele and his supporters on Thursday of last week for their alleged participation in procurement fraud.
At the FCT High Court in Abuja, he was scheduled to be charged with Sa’adatu Yaro, a female CBN employee, and April1616 Investment Limited, her business. However, because to the unavailability of several of the defendants who joined the charge, particularly the second defendant, Yaro, the arraignment was postponed to August 23.
Counsel to the government and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar, had told Justice Hamza Muazu that Yaro took ill in the morning of last week Thursday, hence her absence. The suspended apex bank chief, Yaro and her company were charged on 20 charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates.
Emefiele was accused of conferring corrupt advantages on Yaro who is a director in April 1616 Investment Ltd with the offence said to be contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
