The firearm charges leveled against the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, have been dismissed by a Federal High Court in Lagos at the request of the prosecutors.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo dismissed the charges because the prosecution holds the legal right to withdraw a charge against a defendant during any stage of the trial.
The judge, in his verdict, ruled that the request made by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to withdraw the case is supported by Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which empowers the judge to revoke the charge, without any stipulated requirement for the application to be in written form.
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During the hearing, the judge pondered the potential consequences for the defense if the court were to deny the application for the withdrawal. He described the prosecutors as not-law-abiding and having no respect for the court.
“The prosecution has shown that they are not law-abiding and have no respect for the court. The court cannot force them. What good will it be for the defendant who is in custody? What benefit will it be to keep the file in the court’s docket?
“I believe the proper thing is to allow them to withdraw the charge. They can abandon it, and the court will still have to strike it out for lack of diligent prosecution. The application to withdraw is at this moment granted,” the judge said.
Emefiele has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), on allegations bordering financial crimes, money laundering, and terrorism financing, for months. However, the court struck the charges off in … granting Emefiele bail. But the DSS filed fresh charges.
The secrete service accused Emefiele of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a license, an offense 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.
The defendant was also accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a license, which is 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.
Having entered a plea of not guilty, the defendant was subsequently granted bail by the court, with a bail amount set at N20 million.
Among the stipulated conditions was an order for the suspended CBN Governor to be held in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services until the bail conditions are met.
However, the DSS defied the court, rearrested the defendant, and kept him in their custody after a scuffle with some Correctional Services officers.
The Federal Government’s decision to withdraw the case has been linked to the findings uncovered by the audit of the CBN, sanctioned by President Bola Tinubu.
The director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar told the court that the federal government had decided to withdraw the charges based on emerging facts and circumstances of the case, which requires closer investigation. The DPP stated that his oral application was brought in pursuant to sections 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and 107 of the 1999 Constitution.
This move, which brings a fresh twist to the case, was challenged by the defense. Joseph Daudu (SAN), the defense counsel, contested the action, asserting that the court was not in a position to entertain the verbal plea due to the prosecution’s failure to adhere to the court’s directive regarding Emefiele’s bail.
Furthermore, he contended that no formal application was currently before the court, citing the prosecution’s lack of compliance with both legal statutes and court regulations.
“It must be in writing; I have never heard of an application to withdraw a case without the prosecution filing a nolle prosequi. So I will urge the court that in the interest of justice, its need to prevent this abuse of the legal processes.
“Every application they brought against any citizen of this country under section 174 is a nolle prosequi; the government cannot come before the court orally for that; it ought to be by “nolle prosequi”, at the point in term there is no application before the court,” he said.
He urged the court to reject the application and order the learned DPP to continue today’s business.
“We have an application before the court, which accused the AGF of disobeying the court’s order, ordering that the respondent/ defendant should be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
“The court also granted the defendant an order of substituted service to be published in three National newspapers, and after we obtained these orders, they brought an application of stay of execution of the bail, and we say unless they obey that order, the court cannot proceed,” Daudu added.
In response to the defense’s arguments, the DPP highlighted the distinction between nolle prosequi and charge withdrawal, referencing section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015.
The DPP clarified that whereas Section 107 specifies that the withdrawal application must be in written form, Section 108 does not prescribe a specific mode; it empowers the prosecutor to approach the judge for such an application. Our submission was in accordance with the provisions of Section 108.
With more revelations coming from the audit of the CBN, the Federal Government is believed to be preparing fresh charges bordering on financial crimes against Emefiele.
However, the court has been criticized for tolerating the DSS’ disregard for the rule of law for so long.