Alleged procurement fraud: Again, Emefiele, others’ arraignment fails to hold

The scheduled arraignment of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele and two others before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fixed for today again could not hold.

Though the court sat to hear other cases, no reason was given for the failure of the arraignment of the embattled Emefiele and his other co-defendants.

The suspended CBN Governor was dragged before the court by the Federal Government alongside Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro and a company, April 1616 Investment Ltd, on a 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud, conferment of advantage and conspiracy.

The arraignment was first scheduled to hold Thursday last week proceeding was stalled due to the absence of the second defendant, Yaro, who was said to have fallen ill that morning.

Though Emefiele was brought to court last week for the arraignment by operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS), the second defendant, Yaro, was conspicuously absent.

When the matter was called before Justice Hamza Muazu, a vacation judge, the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, who is the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, told the court that Yaro took ill and as such could not make it to court for the arraignment.

Due to the development, Abubakar sought for a new date for the arraignment of the embattled Emefiele and the two co-defendants in the suit.

The application was, however, not objected to by counsel to Emefiele, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN and counsel for Yaro, Lawal Lebi.

Following the application with no objection from the defence team, Justice Muazu adjourned the case to August 23 for the arraignment of the defendants.

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