₦airaland Forum

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Monday, granted bail to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, in the sum of N2bn.

Emefiele was arraigned on eight counts bordering on the alleged unlawful acquisition of a housing estate comprising 753 units.

He was also accused of embezzling and controlling billions of naira through proxy accounts.

The PUNCH reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in a charge marked CR/350/25, dated Friday, May 30, 2025, accused Emefiele of colluding with one Eric Ocheme, who is reportedly at large, to acquire the property and funds.

The property in question is reportedly located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.

Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) represented the prosecution, while Matthew Bukka (SAN) led Emefiele’s defence team.

At the commencement of proceedings, Oyedepo informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment on an eight-count charge.


He, however, noted that the defence had recently filed a motion seeking to discontinue the trial.

In response, Bukka challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the charges did not directly link the defendant to the alleged offences.

Citing Supreme Court precedents, he contended that the defendant could not be arraigned until the issue of jurisdiction was resolved.

Justice Yusuf Halilu noted that it was not unusual for criminal trials to commence despite preliminary objections.

He said the defendant’s plea must be taken before other applications could be considered.

“This scenario is not new. It has happened before. There is a clear distinction between criminal and civil proceedings. I cannot take any decision until the defendant takes his plea,” Justice Halilu ruled.


The charges were then read to Emefiele, who pleaded not guilty to all eight counts, including the unlawful acquisition of property and control of large sums of money suspected to be proceeds of crime.


Following the plea, Oyedepo requested an accelerated trial, citing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. He also urged the court to remand the defendant in custody.

In response, Bukka highlighted a bail application filed on June 13, pointing out that this was the fourth criminal charge brought against Emefiele by the Federal Government. He urged the court to grant bail on the same terms as those previously granted in other cases, stating that Emefiele had consistently complied with bail conditions.

While Oyedepo did not oppose bail, he argued for stricter conditions due to the seriousness of the charges.

In his ruling, Justice Halilu stated that the constitution presumes every accused person is innocent until proven guilty.

He acknowledged that Emefiele had not breached previous bail conditions and granted bail on the condition that the defendant must submit his travel documents to the court.

“He must provide two sureties who are residents of Abuja and own landed properties valued at N2bn within the jurisdiction of the court, specifically in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse, or Life Camp.

“In the event of a bail jump, the properties would be forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Justice Halilu held.


Bukka subsequently requested that Emefiele be handed over to his legal team pending the perfection of bail.

Oyedepo objected, describing the request as a backdoor attempt to vary the bail terms.

Justice Halilu granted Bukka’s plea, stating that if the bail conditions were not met by the following Wednesday, Emefiele would be remanded in custody.

The matter was adjourned to July 11, 2025, for further hearing.

Source: https://punchng.com/Emefiele-gets-N2bn-bail-in-753-unit-estates-suit

Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

Tinubu stole more than Emefiele. All the money stolen from Lagos State in the name of Alpha-Beta can build another Lekki.

Emefiele...
Money dey Nigeria since abacha time and the money never finished .
Nigeria is truly blessed than most first world countries... Most of them are just hyped.
Nigerian can be the richest country in the world if our capital are well utilized like those western nations
Not even talk of intellectual assets. The brain is what other countries are extorting from us since 10yrs till date (brain drain). And we still have more intellectual assets.
NIGERIA IS BLESS

What a country....

Where does bail funds goes to? Isn't it into government account? Lawyers in the house educate me please.


Government official steals billions from the masses pockets, government grant them millions in bail, bail money returns back to the government pocket..... Isn't like "Steal from the public, give % to the government and keep the rest? We all know he'll never be jailed.


Funny country

His greatest offense was he didn't support Tinubu

favor914:
Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

have some shame at least... Go leave am if them no leave am na, ozuo!

This is highly unfair! Will the 2billion bail bring back those he allegedly murd€r£d with his cashless policy nkor

And his oga is a saint

That's naija for you

All top politicians av stolen more than that..they should all go after them..no politician should be worth more than 1 billion naira..

Another victim of political persecution because he is a minority.
Another President will come that will still grant him Presidential Pardon, just like Ibori.
Nigeria is pady pady Politics.
Useless country.

Amitex:
Tinubu stole more than Emefiele. All the money stolen from Lagos State in the name of Alpha-Beta can build another Lekki.

If them born you well ... go meet am, talk am

favor914:
Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

You should try to make comedy your choice career , you will make fortune from it.

If all this news about this man is true nigeria is potentially a joke,

I don't know how he acquired and embezzled all this under whose watch?

The comments on Nairaland is a reflection of the Nigerian youth.

Shameless!

Nigeria Politicians Steals Without Conscience.
753 Unit of Estate,

Normal na, Baba don roger the boys..

8. Don't post false information on Nairaland.
9. Don't use Nairaland for illegal acts, e.g scams, plagiarism, hacking, gay meetings, incitement, promoting secession.
10. Don't violate the privacy of any people e.g. by posting their private pics, info, or chats without permission.

They want to collect back from emeffelie at all cost

favor914:
Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

Since Buhari is a member of ebilokan’s untouchable Fulani brothers, the incompetent failed Lagos master planner must hold his fellow southerner hostage.

If he could throw the best president, Jonathan under the cow to replace him with a clueless northerner, then what is the surprise of locking Emefiele up for Buhari’s sins?

Do you know that ebilokan called Buhari expired in 2011? This was four years before he made him president o

Highways:
Where Are The Cows? Is Evans A Herdsman?'


When Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was murdered instead of Bola Tinubu to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to book, he ended up making fun of the death of the young lady by turning everything into tribalism by showing his hates for Igbos.


Tinubu has never spoken against the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country

The same stand Adeyinka Grandson gave on the death of Fasoranti's daughter is where Tinubu, the leader of the Yoruba Conservatives stands. Please see Tinubu's video below. pic.twitter.com/COhiSvabqW

— Adeyinka Grandson (@deyinkagrandson) July 14, 2019

Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to be marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the southwest states.


Those arrested suspects include Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State....

However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found.

Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/388382-afenifere-police-speak-on-arrest-of-alleged-killers-of-fasorantis-daughter.html

Amitex:
Tinubu stole more than Emefiele. All the money stolen from Lagos State in the name of Alpha-Beta can build another Lekki.

Forget about building another Lekki when people are jobless, children are uneducated, people are sick and they can’t get low cost housing.

These were the things Jakande did and even more, without squeezing out IGR from the masses.

ThiefNuibu is the worst rogue in our political system. The very worst thing that happened to us. No contest!!!

Splashme:
The first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, on Tuesday, said that the cancellation of the Lagos metroline project in 1985 was a major mistake and disservice to many Nigerians.

Jakande spoke in Lagos during the launch of a book which chronicled his life in politics and journalism.

The book, entitled, ‘Jakande: Leadership in Action’ is written by Dr. Bola Olaosebikan, who told the audience at the event that the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was not responsible for the cancellation of the project.

Jakande said, “Reflecting on the metroline project, I think it is a major disservice to many Nigerians. Imagine how many people would have benefitted. It would have made life easier and changed the face of transport in Lagos. Whoever cancelled it or gave the advice towards its cancellation didn’t do right.”

The former governor asked Nigerians not to vote for unserious leaders in the coming polls, saying the elections presented Nigerians with a good opportunity that should not be squandered.

Expressing the hope that Nigeria would soon overcome its developmental challenges, Jakande said hope would be actualised faster if credible people emerged as leaders in the next dispensation.

He said, “This book comes at a very auspicious time in Nigeria’s history as we need leaders who can act. We need leaders who would not compromise the standards of good governance. God has blessed this nation the most in Africa, although we have not reached where we should be; with the right leaders, Nigeria would overcome its challenges.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/cancelling-metroline-a-major-mistake-jakande/

eluquenson:
REVISITING SOME OF THE LATEEF JAKANDE'S GOVERNMENT ACHIEVEMENTS FROM OCTOBER 1979 TO DECEMBER 1983 (FOUR YEARS AND 3 MONTHS) IN LAGOS STATE

* His government built the current Lagos State Secretariat which houses all the state ministries as well as the popular round house hitherto occupied by all subsequent governors of the state.

* His government built the Lagos State House of Assembly complex.

* His government built the Lagos State Television

* His government built the Lagos Radio

* His government built Lagos State University

* His government established General Hospital in zones all over the state with assurance of free health care.

* His government established Teacher Training College and the College of Education.

* His government built low cost houses in Ijaiye, Dolphin, Oke-Afa, Ije, Abesan, Iponri, Ipaja, Abule Nla, Epe, Amuwo-Odofin, Anikantamo, Surulere, Iba, Ikorodu, Badagry, Isheri/Olowu, Orisigun etc.

* His government established the Water Management Board and Waste Disposal Board on the 18th of August, 1980.

* His government constructed the Adiyan Water Works to increase water supply in the state to 18.16 million litres per day.

* His government modernized and expanded the Iju Water Works which was first commissioned in 1915. This increased daily capacity from 159 million to 204 million litres per day.

* His government purchased and commissioned the giant car crusher equipment. The equipment was designed specifically to crush derelict vehicles in Lagos State. It had the capacity to crush 45 vehicles per day.

* His government constructed, rehabilitated and resurfaced Epe/Ijebu-Ode Road, Oba Akran Avenue, Toyin Street, Town Planning Way, Alimosho-Idimu-Egbe Road, Idimu-Iba-LASU Road, the new secretariat road and several others.

* His government constructed Victoria Island/Epe Road and thereby creating an ‘oil rig’ for Lagos State.

* His government established Asphalt Plant for the Department of Public Works.

* His government established Electricity Board for Rural Electrification with provision of street lights.

* His government modernized, expanded and commissioned Onikan Stadium in 1982.

* His government established a singular school system and ensured genuine free education in Lagos State and the beneficiaries of this policy are in different positions of eminence in the country and around the world.

* His government raised the primary schools in Lagos State to 812 with 533,001 pupils (against 605 primary schools with 434,545 pupils he met in 1979) and secondary schools to 223 with 167,629 students (against 105 schools with 107,835 students in 1979).

* His government constructed 11, 729 classrooms with the maximum of 40 children per class between March and August 1980, by 1983, he had constructed over 22,000 classrooms.

* In July 1983, two commercial passenger boats christened "Baba Kekere and Itafaji" to run the Mile 2 - Marina (CMS) route via the lagoons were inaugurated by his government to mark the official launch of the Lagos State ferry services.

* His government took over the ownership and financing of Lagos State Printing Corporation in July 1980

* His government established the first State Traffic Management Authority (Road Marshals).

* His government established small scale Industries Credit Scheme which preceded the EKO bank.

*His government established LASACO Insurance.

*His government expanded existing market and built new ones.

*His government established Traditional Medicine Board.

WHO SAYS 4 YEARS IN OFFICE IS NOT ENOUGH FOR MEANINGFUL ACHIEVEMENTS?

IT'S A FACT THAT 90% OF GOVERNORS IN NIGERIA SINCE 1999 WITH REVENUES AT THEIR DISPOSAL CANNOT BOAST OF A QUARTER OF THESE ACHIEVEMENTS EVEN WITHIN THEIR EIGHT YEARS IN OFFICE.

favor914:
Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

It was buhari that built the estate for him abi?

It was buhari that asked him to steal lots of money and deposit them in proxy account.

I'm just wondering, is emiefele the only one that served under buhari, how about the scam aviation minister that misappropriated billions tf not trillions on the scam Nigeria airline. He who dines with the devil uses a long spoon

Amitex:
Tinubu stole more than Emefiele. All the money stolen from Lagos State in the name of Alpha-Beta can build another Lekki.

And your clueless PDP you worship for good 16yrs couldn't send him to jail.

I don't know who is more clownish between you and PDP

China for don kpai this man , Nigeria too soft on crime

Once he gets bail on this, they will arraign him for another one.

AdolfHitlerxXx:
If them born you well ... go meet am, talk am

H can't do that, no one will meet a drug dealer in this circumstance and go scot free.
Remember Bola Ige?

Who remembers when shagari, then president was put on house arrest but his deputy, Ekwueme was put in prison?

Oya he will be rearrested for another count,he will be on trial till only God knows when

favor914:
Please dey should leave Godwin Emefiele alone, all these is President Buhari’s fault.

And the unit n money stolen ko

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