FG Files 20 Fresh Charges Against Emefiele, Withdraws Illegal Possession of Firearms Charge

The Federal Government has filed 20 fresh charges against the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, even as the government withdrew the earlier charge against him.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had before now since arrest of Emefiele, charged him with illegal possession of firearms which it earlier today withdrew before filling the recent fresh charges against the former CBN Chief.

According to reports, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, preferred the charges against Emefiele through an oral application.

Abubakar had told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that the application followed the result of further investigations.

But counsel for Emefiele, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu, opposed the application insisting that that the government must first purge itself of the disobedience of the court’s order granting Emefiele bail, before its application could be taken.

Justice Oweibo adjourned till Thursday, August 17, 2023 to rule on the application.

In an interview with journalists after the day’s proceedings, the DPP said a fresh 20 counts has been filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court against the suspended CBN governor.

One of the counts, he said, accused Emefiele of “conferring unlawful advantages”.