The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has granted former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, permission to travel outside Abuja, the country’s capital. The decision follows a motion filed by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mathew Bukka, seeking a variation of his bail terms.
In November 2023, Justice Hamza Muazu granted Emefiele bail in the sum of three hundred million naira, with two sureties in a like sum, and the deposit of his travel documents. The court had previously ordered the return of travel documents to the court, restricting him to the jurisdiction of the FCT and requiring court permission for any travel. In the recent ruling, Emefiele is allowed to leave Abuja but must remain within the country’s borders.
Emefiele faced legal issues since June 2023 when he was detained by the State Security Service (SSS) on firearm possession suspicions. Although those charges were dropped, fresh corruption charges were filed against him in August, alleging conspiracy to award fraudulent contracts worth N6.9 billion with a CBN staff member.