The Federal Government has escalated its legal battle against the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, by filing 20 additional charges against him.
This move comes alongside an application to withdraw a previously filed "illegal possession of firearms" case against Emefiele, which was being pursued at the Federal High Court in Lagos under the leadership of Bola Tinubu.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, represented by Mohammed Bakodo Abubakar, informed Justice Nicholas Oweibo of this decision during a courtroom session. Abubakar stated that the decision to withdraw the firearms case was based on the results of further investigations into the matter.
One of the counts in the new charges accuses Emefiele of allegedly "conferring unlawful advantages." This development follows earlier events in which the judge, on July 25, granted Emefiele bail amounting to ₦20 million on a two-count charge related to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The judge's order also mandated Emefiele's remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre until he fulfilled the conditions of his bail.
However, a dramatic twist occurred when the Department of State Service (DSS) reapprehended the beleaguered banking chief. This occurred after an altercation with officials from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) on the premises of the court.