Embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, has been released from the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre where he was detained, authorities have confirmed.

Public Relations Officer (PRO), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Adamu Dazu, confirmed that Emefiele would celebrate this year’s yuletide outside the walls of the facility after fulfilling his bail terms.

Also, the national spokesman of the Service, Abubakar Umar, said that the gate of Kuje Correctional Centre was opened to the ex-governor of the CBN last Friday.

Umar told The Guardian yesterday: “He (Emefiele) has fulfilled his bail conditions and has since been released.” Recall that Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court Abuja had granted Emefiele bail at the sum of N300 million.

The court also ordered him to produce two sureties in like sum. One of the conditions was that the sureties must have certificates of occupancy and titles of properties within the Maitama District of Abuja.

The judge also ordered Emefiele to deposit all his travel documents with the registrar of the court, adding that he must remain within the Abuja Municipal Area Council. He also ordered his detention within Kuje Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of the bail terms.

The judge also rejected the objection by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to Emefiele’s bail application, disagreeing with the anti-graft agency that the former governor of the CBN was a flight risk and could jump bail, which could subsequently jeopardise investigation or threaten the security of the country.
Emefiele is standing trial on six counts bordering on procurement fraud to the tune of N1.2 billion.