The scheduled arraignment of suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele was on Thursday stalled at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Although Mr. Emefiele was present in court, the arraignment could not hold as the second defendant, Mrs. Saadat Yaro, was absent.

Counsel to the Federal Government and Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, told Justice Hamza Muazu that Mrs Saadat Yaro took ill in the morning, hence her absence. Mr. Abubakar apologized to the court and applied for a new date for arraignment.

The request for adjournment was not opposed by Mr. Akinlolu Kehinde, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), counsel to Emefiele.

Justice Muazu subsequently adjourned the case to August 23 for the arraignment.

Operatives of the Department of the State Service (DSS) who brought Mr. Emefiele to court under heavy security returned him to their custody.

On Tuesday, also appearing before another court in a charge on illegal possession of firearms, a Federal High Court in Lagos had fixed ruling on the application to withdraw the illegal possession of firearms charges against Mr. Emefiele for Thursday.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed the date after listening to the arguments of the DPP, Mr. Abubakar and Mr. Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).

Mr. Emefiele would have been arraigned alongside a female CBN employee, Ms. Sa’adatu Yaro and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited on 20 charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates.

Listed as witnesses against the defendants were the CBN Director of Procurement, Stanley Alvan; CBN Head of Procurement, Mike Agboro, Tahir Jafar, David Usman and “any other witnesses to be supplied later in the additional proof of evidence.’’

The embattled CBN governor who had been in detention since he was suspended from office on June 92023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was accused of conferring corrupt advantages on Ms. Yaro, a director in April 1616 Investment Ltd.

The offence is contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. If convicted, the accused persons may be sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine.

Section 19 reads: “Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.’’

In the charges signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar; Deputy Director, Public Prosecution, Mrs N Jones-Nebo and eight other ministry officials, the three accused persons were alleged to have bought a fleet of over 98 exotic vehicles and armoured buses valued at about N6.9bn.

Some of the vehicles bought between 2018 and 2020 included 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armoured Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers and one Toyota Avalon car.

According to court papers, Count one reads: “That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 (Nos.) Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which she is a director and thereby committed an offence.

“Statement of the offence: Conferring corrupt advantage contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.’’

The Federal Government further accused Mr. Emefiele of conspiracy to confer corrupt advantage on the second defendant contrary to sections 26 (c) and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under Section 19 of the same Act.

“That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, female, adult, and April 1616 Investment Ltd, sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to use the office of Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 1 (No.) Toyota Landcruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 only to April 1616 Investment Ltd., ‘’ the charge stated.

Mr. Emefiele was said to have also conferred a corrupt advantage on Yaro by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99.9m to her company, April1616 Investment Ltd., in 2019.

The suspended governor was also accused of awarding a contract for the supply of another Toyota Landcruiser V8 for N77.050m to the third defendant in 2018.

The suspended CBN governor was said to have conspired with Ms. Yaro to confer corrupt advantages on the CBN staffer by awarding to her a contract for the supply of two Toyota Hilux Shell specification vehicles at the cost of N44.2m sometime in 2020.

Mr. Emefiele was further alleged to have awarded another contract to Ms. Yaro and her firm for the purchase of one Toyota Landcruiser VXR valued at N96m in 2020.

Ms. Yaro was similarly accused of fraudulent acquisition of property for getting a contract from the CBN for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed a punishable offence.

Count 10 reads: “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, for the supply of 47 Toyota Hilux vehicles at the cost of N1,085, 700,000 and thereby committed an offence.’’

Count 11, “That you, Sa’adatu Rammala Yaro, female, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while being employed at the CBN knowingly held directly a private interest as director in April1616 Investment Ltd., in a contract awarded to the said company, emanating from the CBN where you are employed, for the supply of 10 Mercedes Benz armoured buses at the cost of N2,222, 500,00 and thereby committed an offence.’’