The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed Thursday, August 17, to rule on an application by the Federal Government to withdraw the ‘illegal possession of firearm charge’ it filed against Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The presiding judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo had fixed the date after hearing the arguments of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, of the Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar and Emefiele’s lead lawyer, SAN Joseph Daudu.
Recall that at the last sitting of the court on August 10, Justice Oweibo had shifted the date to today, August 15, for further hearing in the suits filed by Godwin Emefiele, who is looking to bar the Federal Government from further detaining or prosecuting him on the grounds of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunitions or on any other charge for that matter.
The defendant had also sought for an order for the law court to dismiss him of all crimes prosecuted by the Government and a further order to stop the Federal Government from continuing to benefit from any form of gratification from the courts except and unless it was in line with the bail ruling.
The FG on its part had also filed a lawsuit seeking permission to appeal the bail ruling and to postpone the proceedings of the court pending the appeal.
After listening to the arguments of both parties, Justice Oweibo gad stated that the Federal Government’s suit came as a shock to the law court. He thereafter adjourned proceedings till Thursday, August 17 to enable the court to consider all the arguments made, and to determine a ruling.
