At the height of his headship of the Nigerian banking sector as Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele called the shots.
For instance, he holds court, almost every weekend somewhere in Lagos’s high-brow locations with sometimes about 5 of the topmost banking Chief Executives. It was there that he informally dished out favours and if necessary put his feet down.
Today not one of those bank CEOs is willing to step up and help with his bail terms.
What about the litany of business associates and friends in high places across this country, many of whom sat patiently in his official waiting rooms while he was CBN boss? Not one is available to come to his aid.
Has the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele been left in the lurch by friends and associates as none of them came forward to meet the prescribed N300 million bail bond needed to secure his release from prison?
Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja had last week Wednesday ordered Emefiele to produce two sureties in like sum and they must be resident within the FCT and have landed property within the Maitama District.
The judge also ordered Emefiele to deposit all his travel documents with the registrar of the court and to remain within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Given his status, many Nigerians had thought Emefiele’s associates, especially many of those who were asking him to contest in the 2023 presidential election would rally round him but that was not to be as nobody has come forward to secure his bail.
With December around the corner, there are fears that Emefiele may remain behind bars till next year, unable to spend Christmas with friends and family.
It will be recalled that Emefiele who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu in June had previously been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Lagos, where he was required to pay ₦20 million.
The charges against Emefiele include allegations of corruptly conferring advantages on individuals and a company, as outlined in a six-count charge.
Among the charges are the award of contracts for the supply of vehicles and other services, totaling over ₦1.2 billion.
The charges specified instances where Emefiele is accused of corruptly conferring advantages on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a CBN staff, by awarding contracts for the supply of 37 Hilux vehicles at a cost of ₦854.7 million in 2018.
He is alleged to have conferred an advantage on a company with a CBN staff as a director by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avallon at the cost of ₦99.0 million.
The charges also involve the illegal award of contracts for the supply of Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles, with one incident in 2019 at the cost of ₦73.0 million and another in 2020 at the cost of ₦73.8 million. Emefiele is accused of illegally awarding contracts for the supply of two Toyota Hilux in 2020 at ₦44.2 million and engaging in the illegal purchase of 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020, amounting to ₦1.2 billion.
The FCT High Court on Tuesday adjourned the continuation of Emefiele’s trial to January 18, 2024.