Suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele,Tuesday, was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on two count charge of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

Emefiele was arraigned before the vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, after over six weeks of being in detention following his arrest and detention by the Department of State Services DSS.

Emefiele was brought to court by DSS operatives in a hilux vehicle on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

Appearing before Justice Oweibo, Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the Federal Government.

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu, led other lawyers in Emefiele’s defence.

After Emefiele’s plea, Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), told the court that his client has been in detention for weeks, adding that his application for bail has been filed and served on the prosecution.

Meanwhile, the DSS raised objections to the court hearing the bail application, insisting that it has not been served.

President Bola Tinubu had suspended Emefiele as the apex bank chief on June 9, 2023, he was arrested the following day by the secret police.

After several legal fireworks by Emefiele’s counsel challenging his prolonged detention by the DSS, the secret police bowed to pressure on July 13, 2023 and announced that the suspended apex bank chief has been charged to court.

Meanwhile, in a short ruling on the bail application, Justice Nicholas Oweibo held that there was evidence that the government was served.

The bail application was filed by Emefiele’s lawyers led by Joseph Dauda (SAN).

Dauda had asked the court to hear the application seeking bail on self recognizance, noting that his client had fulfilled all the conditions necessary to make the application ripe for hearing.

He noted further that the proof of service endorsed by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) was in the court’s file.

Dauda also asked the court to end the oppression of his client by the Department of State Security (DSS) which arrested him and hear the bail application.

“There should be an end to oppression,” he said.

But the government’s lawyer, a Deputy Director of Public Prosecution (DDPP), Nkiru Jones-Nebo, told Justice Oweibo that she had not set eyes on the application as there is currently no AGF in the country after the tenure of the last administration lapsed.

She said, “We have scrutinised even through the agency the defendant is been detained but we could not find any.”

The arguments prompted Justice Oweibo to write a ruling where he dismissed the FG’s objections.

At the time of this report, the court is hearing the suspended CBN Governor’s bail application.