JUST IN: Court rejects Emefiele’s request to travel for medical checkup in UK

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, has turned down former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele’s request for permission to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

Justice Muazu, in a ruling on Tuesday, held among others, that Emefiele failed to supply sufficient materials to show that the medical trip was essential and unavoidable.

Justice Muazu found that, while Emefiele claimed there was an invitation for him to travel to the UK for medical attention, he failed to tender a copy of the said invitation in court.

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The judge also found that Emefiele did not show that his ailment could not be attended to in the country.

EFCC is prosecuting Mr Emefiele in 20 amended counts of conferment of corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining about $6.23 million belonging to the Nigerian government by false pretence.

Mr Emefiele, governor of the CBN for nearly a decade, faces corruption charges in separate trials in Abuja and Lagos. The cases were instituted against him after President Bola Tinubu removed him from office in June 2023.

In the court where he sought permission to travel abroad, the EFCC accused him of forgery of a document titled: ‘Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions’.

According to the charges, Mr Emefiele purported that the allegedly forged document dated 26 January 2023 with reference number SGF.43/L.01/201 emanated from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) office.

The commission alleged in another count that on 8 February 2023, Mr Emefiele knowingly obtained, by false pretence, $6.23 million by falsely claiming that the SGF requested the money through the allegedly forged letter. The prosecution said the forged letter claimed that the SGF needed the money for “a contingent logistic advance” purportedly “in line with Mr President’s directive.”

The commission also accused him of conferring unfair and corrupt advantage on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd, through contract awards while serving as CBN governor.

He has denied all the charges preferred against him in the separate trials.

The FCT High Court judge overseeing Mr Emefiele’s trial in Abuja, Mr Mu’azu, ordered the seizure of his passport as part of his bail conditions after his arraignment in November last year.

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