Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has on Tuesday, pleaded not guilty to the two counts of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition levelled against him.
Count one of the charges reads: ‘That you, Godwin Emefiele, Male, of No. 8 Colorado Street Maitama Abuja, on or about the 15th of June 2023, at No. 3b Iru Close, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your possession one (1) Single Barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence.
‘You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, Cap. F28 Laws of the Federation 2004, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act’.
Count two: ‘That you, Godwin Emefiele, Male, of No. 8 Colorado Street Maitama Abuja, on or about June 15, 2023, at No. 3b Iru Close, Ikoyi, Eti Osa Local Government, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your possession One Hundred and Twenty-Three (123) Rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a licence.
‘You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the Federation 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.’
Emefiele pleaded not guilty after he was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
He was brought to the court by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) at 09:21am.
Emefiele, who arrived the court with a bible, was arraigned before the vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu, led other lawyers in Emefiele’s defence.
After the plea, Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that his client had been in detention for weeks.
He also told Justice Oweibo that the application for bail had been filed and served on the prosecution.
