The trying days of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, will continue in Nigeria and in detention He will not at this time get an opportunity to travel for medical examination.
Justice Hamza Mu’azu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, made this decision.
Tuesday, July 16 marked another day in the days of reckoning for Godwin Emefiele.
He is seeking leave of the court to travel to the United Kingdom for medical examination.
But the court dismissed his application.
The ruling stated that there was no evidence to show that the defendant had any ailment.
Court Dismiss Medical Traveling
Emefiele through his lawyer, Labi-Lawal on Monday, July 8, 2024, filed an affidavit seeking the release of his passport to enable him to embark on a UK medical trip.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed this through its prosecution counsel, Muhammad Abbas Omeiza.
Omeiza submitted a counter-affidavit to the court, stating that no medical report indicating the defendant’s alleged illness was presented.
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And if there was, no evidence was advanced by the defence to show that it could not be treated in Nigeria.
In addition, the prosecution counsel noted that Emefiele deposited his passport with the court as part of the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
Arguing that releasing it to him would amount to the court varying his bail conditions.
Also, he says Emefiele is a flight risk. The prosecution counsel noted that “the defendant has co-conspirators all over the world”.
The lawyer said: “One Anita and Tony are all aides of the defendant who are currently in the UK.
“The defendant might be tempted to jump bail because he is standing trial in three different courts”.
Emefiele And EFCC
In response, the defence counsel dismissed the prosecution’s arguments as speculative.
Noting that the EFCC can issue an international red alert on Emefiele to enable his arrest if he made the foreign medical trip and refused to return to Nigeria.
On Tuesday, Justice Mu’azu dismissed the application, stating that there was no medical report indicating that Emefiele was plagued by any ailment.
He noted that the fact that he was standing trial in three different courts is fatal to the application.
