FG moves to withdraw firearms possession charges against Emefiele

In a recent legal development, the federal government has submitted an oral application to the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, aiming to withdraw the charge of illegal possession of firearms against Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Emefiele had been brought before the court on July 25, facing a two-count charge related to the alleged “illegal possession” of firearms.

During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, presented an oral application to Justice Nicholas Oweibo. Abubakar explained that the application was rooted in the outcome of further investigations that had taken place.

However, Emefiele’s legal representative, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, contested the application. Daudu asserted that the government must first address its violation of the court’s bail order before the withdrawal application could be considered.

Justice Oweibo has postponed the ruling on the application until Thursday, August 17, 2023.

Following the day’s proceedings, the DPP engaged in an interview with journalists, revealing that a fresh set of 20 charges had been submitted against the suspended CBN governor to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court. Among these charges, one alleges Emefiele’s involvement in “conferring unlawful advantages.”

As a reminder, President Tinubu suspended Mr. Godwin Emefiele from his position as the Governor of Nigeria’s apex bank on July 9. In his place, Mr. Folashodun Shonubi was appointed as the acting Governor of the bank.

Subsequently, Governor Emefiele was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) and faced charges on two counts, which included terrorism and illegal possession of firearms.