The trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has been postponed until June 24th by a federal court in Maitama, Abuja.
During the court session on Thursday, neither the prosecution nor the defendant appeared, although Emefiele was represented by one of his attorneys.
The defendant’s lawyer, I.D Ahmed, informed the court that the prosecution requested the adjournment. He apologized for his client’s absence, but the presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, emphasized that the defendant’s presence was necessary despite the prosecution’s request for delay. The trial will resume on June 24th and 25th.
The federal government, on January 18, amended the charges against Emefiele, increasing them from six to twenty counts. The allegations include criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, procurement fraud, and conspiracy to commit a felony. The charges stem from incidents where Emefiele allegedly forged documents and conspired to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN.
In a related development, the EFCC has declared Emefiele’s wife, Margaret, wanted for money laundering.