Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele has requested permission from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja to travel abroad for medical treatment.
During the proceedings on Tuesday, Mr. Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Burkaa, informed the court of the pending application. However, he did not disclose the destination for the medical trip or the specific ailment of his client, Premium Times reports.
“The health of my client is a matter of urgency,” Burkaa emphasized.
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As part of his bail conditions, the trial judge, Hamza Mu’azu, had earlier ordered the seizure of Mr. Emefiele’s passport. The former governor now seeks the release of his passport to facilitate his medical journey.
Judge Mu’azu has scheduled the hearing for Mr. Emefiele’s application on July 8.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the case, has yet to comment on the application. The agency could either oppose or support the request or remain indifferent.
Mr. Emefiele faces 20 amended charges from the EFCC, including conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining approximately $6.23 million under false pretenses. His trials are being conducted in both Abuja and Lagos, following his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu.
Trial Continues
On Tuesday, the trial progressed with the EFCC presenting two more prosecution witnesses. The seventh prosecution witness, Michael Agboro, had previously testified that Mr. Emefiele, during his tenure as CBN governor, awarded contracts to companies owned by his wife and brother-in-law.
Rotimi Oyedepo, the prosecution lawyer, introduced the eighth and ninth witnesses. Umar Abba Tilde, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, testified as the eighth witness. He identified Mr. Emefiele’s bank statements and related documents, which were marked as Exhibits ED1, ED2, and ED3.
“These documents were provided to the EFCC upon request in July 2023,” Tilde noted.
Tilde revealed that Mr. Emefiele authorized the transfer of N4 million to Architekun Nigeria Limited and maintained ten bank accounts with Zenith Bank, detailing their account numbers and purposes.
The ninth witness, Abibiya Ockiya-Ogeleye, a lawyer with A&A Legal Consociate, testified about her firm’s services to Architekun Nigeria Limited, confirming the involvement of Mr. Emefiele’s family members in the company. “We handled incorporation matters, annual reports, and changes in directorship for the company,” Ockiya-Ogeleye testified.
Charges
Mr. Emefiele faces charges of criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, and obtaining money by false pretenses during his time as CBN governor. The EFCC also accuses him of using his position to confer corrupt advantages on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekun Nigeria Ltd.
The trial has been adjourned to October 21, with continuation dates set for October 22 and 23.
