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Emefiele Fulfills Bail Conditions, Secretly Released From Kuje Prison – Whistler
Embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has finally fulfilled his bail conditions and has been released from Kuje Prison secretly, THE WHISTLER has gathered on Friday.
A source in the prison who revealed the ex-CBN governor’s release via a text message said, “Emefiele was released quietly in Kuje prison at 3pm today after fulfilling his bail conditions secretly.”
The source further said, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is still looking for him to arrest him,” and that’s “why he was released secretly.”
He said everything was done secretly in active connivance with the prison officials who perfected the plan and hid him from visitors who were visiting the facility.
The former CBN top man was unable to fulfil the bail conditions over fears that the government may come after anyone who would stand as his surety.
It’s not clear at the time of going to press who came to his rescue as one of his lawyers, Maxwell Opara told THE WHISTLER, “I can’t confirm that to you unless I speak with the brother.”
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court had granted the CBN bail on November 8.
He was re-arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on procurement fraud on November 18 and remanded in Kuje Prison.
He was accused of corruptly enriching himself as CBN governor by using Sa’adatu Yaro, a staff of CBN, to award a contract for the procurement of 43 vehicles worth N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020.
According to the charge sheet, the vehicles included 37 Toyota Hilux at the cost of N854.7 million, one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9 million, one Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73.8 million, two Toyota Hilux Shell Specification at the cost of N44,200,000.
After pleading “not guilty” to the amended charge, he was granted bail in the sum of N300 million with sureties who must have certificates of occupancy and titles of properties within the Maitama district in Abuja.
On Wednesday, Jim Obazee, the special investigator probing CBN and related entities, in a final panel report titled ‘Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable offences)’ that was submitted to President Bola Tinubu accused the former CBN boss of using Ways and Means advances by the CBN to enrich himself.
Abubakar Umar, the spokesman of the Kuje Prison did not respond to inquiries made via calls and a text message.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
“Eyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
“The vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
“It hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
“FRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state government’s maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
“We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
“The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
“The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,” Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
“We have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
“We appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
“This will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,” he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
“As an association we shared the grains equally across PAN’s eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
“We, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,” said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
“The maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,” he said.
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