The Department of State Services (DSS) has withdrawn the firearms charges it filed against the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. The withdrawal led to the striking out of the charges by Justice Nicholas Oweibo “for want of diligent prosecution.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, had requested the withdrawal of the charges against Emefiele, citing the emergence of new facts and circumstances requiring further investigation. Emefiele’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had initially argued that such an application must be made in writing, not orally, to prevent abuse of legal processes.
The withdrawal of the firearms charges is reported to be connected to the filing of corruption charges against Emefiele before an Abuja court. It was reported that Emefiele would face charges of alleged N6.9 billion procurement fraud.
However, in a separate case related to the alleged N6.9 billion procurement fraud, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, adjourned Emefiele’s arraignment until August 23. Emefiele was scheduled to be arraigned alongside a female CBN employee and a company allegedly owned by her. Emefiele’s plea could not be taken during the hearing, as the second defendant was reportedly sick and unable to attend court.
The withdrawal of the firearms charges and the subsequent emergence of corruption charges reflect the ongoing legal proceedings involving Godwin Emefiele, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s financial sector.