The Federal High Court has rejected the Federal Government\u2019s claim that it had not received a copy of the bail application filed by the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, in his alleged gun possession trial.<\/p>\n
Emefiele was arraigned at a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The bail application was filed by Emefiele\u2019s lawyers led by Mr. J. B. Dauda SAN.<\/p>\n
Dauda had prayed the court to hear the banker\u2019s application seeking bail on self-recognizance, noting that his client had fulfilled all the conditions necessary to make the application ripe for hearing.<\/p>\n
He noted further that the proof of service endorsed by the AGF\u2019s office was in the court\u2019s file.<\/p>\n
Dauda also urged the court to end the oppression of his client by the Department of State Security (DSS) which arrested him and hear the bail application.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere should be an end to oppression,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But the government\u2019s lawyer, a Deputy Director of Prosecution (DDPP), told Justice Nicholas Oweibo that she had \u201cnot been given the bail application. As I stand here, I have not set eyes on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emefiele is standing trial on a two-count charge which accuses him of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence on June 15 at Ikoyi.<\/p>\n
The Federal Government, which is prosecuting him, maintained that the offence was contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, 2004, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.<\/p>\n
In the second count, the suspended CBN Governor was accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a licence, which was contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.<\/p>\n
Emefiele was brought to Court on Tuesday in a Toyota Hilux vehicle by DSS officials.<\/p>\n
Before his arrival hooded DSS operatives had taken over the court premises. Some came as early as 7am, well over two hours before Emefiele\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n
The courtroom where he is arraigned is very small and journalists were not allowed inside.<\/p>\n
But an unidentified lady court clerk came out to order journalists to stop recording but was ignored since the cameramen were not inside the courtroom.<\/p>\n
But there was calm in the environment.<\/p>\n
Emefiele was clean shaving and casually dressed and he walked by himself into the courtroom.<\/p>\n
The Federal High Court has rejected the Federal Government\u2019s claim that it had not received a copy of the bail application filed by the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":106398,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n