An Abuja High Court, yesterday, granted bail to detained former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Justice Olukayode Adeniyi held that Emefiele should be released to his lawyers.

“There must be an end to detention without trial,” he said, stressing that the ruling was premised on refusal by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to comply with a November 2 order of the court.

The court further noted that a purported remand order tendered by Federal Government’s lawyer, and signed by an Abuja Chief Magistrate, bore conflicting dates.

“A very crucial fact that this court cannot overlook is the applicant’s claim that he has been incarcerated for upward of 151 days without trial,” Adeniyi said.

He held that Section 298(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, empowers the court to make necessary orders, even when there is a remand order against an applicant.

Consequently, the court directed that Emefiele should be released to the three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) that represented him. It held that the lawyers should produce him in court on November 15 for a planned arraignment or at any other date when he is required to appear.

Also, the judge ordered Emefiele to surrender all his international documents to the most senior registrar of the court, pending his arraignment.

Subsequently, it adjourned proceedings till November 17.The ruling followed a fundamental right enforcement suit, which the ex-CBN boss, who has been in detention for about five months, filed through his team of lawyers, led by Matthew Burkaa.