On Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission failed to present the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in court, contrary to a directive issued by the Federal Capital Territory High Court the previous Thursday.
The court had ordered the commission to either release Emefiele or bring him to court for a hearing related to his bail.
During the court proceedings on Monday, the former CBN governor was conspicuously absent. Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, accused the EFCC of disregarding the court’s order.
Read also:Court orders immediate and unconditional release of Emefiele
He said, “They have flouted both orders, as today marks the 149th day of the applicant being in custody.
“The applicant is still in the custody of the 3rd and 4th respondents, up until this moment that we speak.”
However, in response, Farouk Abdullahi, the EFCC’s counsel, acknowledged that the order had been served to the commission but disputed the claim that the former CBN governor had spent over 100 days in their custody.
He further explained that their failure to comply with the order was unintentional. Abdullahi pointed out that certain exhibits, particularly exhibit E, were not included with the order.
The presiding judge, Justice Olusegun Adeniyi, postponed the proceedings until November 8, reiterating his previous order that the EFCC should either unconditionally release Emefiele or, as an alternative, bring him to court on the next adjourned date for consideration of bail.
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