The scheduled arraignment of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, before a Federal Capital Territory FCT High Court, was stalled today, due to the absence of the second defendant, Sa’adatu Yaro
According to Yaro’s counsel, had told the court that the suspect she took ill this morning which made her presence in court impossible
The lawyer asked for a new date for her appearance in court which the prosecutors, the Department of State Services (DSS) did not oppose.
Consequently, Justice Justice Muazu Hamza, fixed August 23, for the arraignment of Emefiele and his co-defendants.
Court Strikes Out Firearms Charge Against Emefiele
Meanwhile, a Lagos Federal High Court, today, struck out the charges of illegal firearms possession, filed against the embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele following an application by the Ministry of Justice to withdraw it.
Ruling on the application, Justice Nicholas Oweibo agreed with the Director of Public prosecution(DPP) Mohammed Bakodo Abubakar, who moved the application to withdraw the two-count charge relying on Section 108 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Though, the defence team led by Mr. Joseph Bodurin Dawodu (SAN) had vehemently opposed the withdrawal application, argued that the prosecution could not withdraw the charge, unless the government purges itself of its disobedience to the order of the court, made on July 25, granting Emefiele bail.
Justice Oweibo, in a short ruling, condemned the conduct of the prosecution, for flagrantly disobey the order and held: “the conduct of the prosecution has shown that it doesn’t respect the rule of law.
“Of what benefit will it be to keep the file in the court’s docket when the prosecution has shown disrespectful to the court?
“To stop the embarrassment of the court and to keep its integrity intact, means to strike out this charge which has simply been abandoned for a lack of diligent prosecution.
“Accordingly this charge is hereby struck out for lack of diligent prosecution.
