Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court on Monday admitted the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to bail in the sum of N2 billion in a fresh charge of property fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an eight-count charge against him in respect of the disputed 753 duplexes in Abuja.

The said property located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, measures 150,462.86 SQM and comprises 753 housing units.

When the charge was read to him, he, however, pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, his counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN applied for bail, which was not opposed to by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN.

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Oyedepo, however, asked the court to expunge some paragraphs in the bail application, and the court granted that.

Ruling on the bail application, Justice Halilu held that bail is a constitutional right.

He added that the defendant(Emefiele) has been granted bail by two other judges and he did not go against the conditions and terms

”I admit the defendant to bail on the terms and conditions that the defendant’s travel documents which is already before justice Muazu is hereby attached as part of the condition .

“The defendant shall provide two sureties who must be residents of Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court.

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“The sureties must own landed property within the jurisdiction of this court precisely in Asokoro , Maitama and Wuse 2 which valued at N2 billion” he held

Halilu further ordered that the sureties shall also do undertaking to produce the defendant in court always
all through his trial .

He added in the event the defendant jumps bail, they (sureties) will be put in prison.

He ordered that the defendant is granted from now to Wed (June 18) to vacate the ball or else risk going to prison.

He then adjourned until July 11 for continuation.

The charge number: CR/358/2025, borders on alleged having control of property reasonably suspected to be unlawfully obtained.

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The offence, the EFCC said, is punishable under Section 319 of the Penal Code Law.

Emefiele was charged alongside one “Ocheme” who is at large.

Besides the housing estate, the two defendants are also charged with unlawfully keeping in their possession billions of naira in proxy accounts in Zenith Bank.

In count one of the charge Emefiele and Ocheme are being accused of knowingly having within their control the housing estate suspected to be unlawfully obtained contrary to the law.

While in count two, they were alleged to knowingly have in their possession the sum of N167 million domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915, in count three they were alleged to have held the sum of N1.23 billion in the same account.

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According to the anti-graft agency, the said sums were said to be reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

In another count they were also alleged to have in their control another sum of N2.9 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc.

In count five, the commission stated that the defendants between January and December 2022, knowingly had under their control the total sum of N1.98 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

In other counts they were also linked with the sum of N900 million and N600 million in Ifedigo Integrated Services’ account No: 1210750237 domiciled wit zenith Bank.

Meanwhile, in count eight, Emefiele was said to have in January 2021, forged a document titled, “Irrevocable Power of Attorney Between MG Properties Limited and H and Y Business Global Limited” with the intention of causing it to be believed that the said titled document was executed by or by the authority of H and Y Business Global Limited.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened the provisions of sections 319, 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says a one-way SUV driver fled after colliding with a tricycle operator, resulting in the operator’s tragic death.

LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, made this known in a statement on Sunday by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director of Public Affairs.

Bakare-Oki stated the fatal crash occurred at Origan, Oko-Afo, along the Badagry Expressway corridor in Lagos State.

The crash involved a commercial tricycle with registration MUS 716 QM and a Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC SUV with the custom plate “OSUNFNKE.”

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Preliminary findings indicate the SUV driver was travelling in the wrong direction — commonly known as “one-way” — from Ile-Epo towards Oko-Afo, flouting traffic rules.

According to Bakare-Oki, this serious violation led to a head-on collision with the oncoming tricycle, resulting in fatal injuries to the tricycle operator.

The operator suffered severe trauma, including a dislocated knee, and was confirmed dead at the scene.

“In a shocking act of negligence, the SUV driver abandoned both his vehicle and the victim’s body and fled the scene.

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“LASTMA officials quickly secured the site and escalated the matter to the Morogbo Division of the Nigeria Police Force.

“Police officers promptly took over the location while the Federal Road Safety Corps transported the body to Badagry General Hospital mortuary.

“To clear traffic, the damaged tricycle and SUV were removed by LASTMA and handed to police for investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.

Bakare-Oki condemned the incident, calling the driver’s conduct a grave threat to public safety and a breach of transport laws.

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“This death highlights the deadly consequences of traffic lawlessness,” he said, expressing deep sorrow over the avoidable loss of life.

He lamented that, in spite of ongoing campaigns and enforcement, some drivers still display reckless disregard for traffic rules and other road users.

He reaffirmed LASTMA’s mission to ensure safer roads through active traffic control, public education, and strict law enforcement.

“This tragedy could’ve been avoided had the driver obeyed traffic signs and regulations,” Bakare-Oki stated.

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He urged motorists to act responsibly, noting that even one life lost is a tragedy too many.

The general manager offered sincere condolences to the deceased’s family, praying they find strength and peace in their grief.

LASTMA reminded all road users to respect life and avoid dangerous acts like one-way driving that endanger public safety.

Two young women have narrated what could be summed up as a life-scarring ordeal after allegedly being assaulted by a popular Port Harcourt-based realtor, Maduba Okechi Christian, and his security details at a nightclub in the Rivers State capital.

It was learnt that what was meant to be a night of carefree fun turned into a horror scene when they were allegedly beaten to a pulp, stripped naked, and one was left bleeding profusely from the head after the said Maduba reportedly smashed a bottle on her head.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Blacbox nightclub, has generated outrage on social media after the ladies shared videos narrating their ordeal.

‘He assaulted us for refusing love advances’

They accused Maduba, the Chief Executive Officer of Ceemore Group of Companies, a real estate firm, and a Mobile Police officer attached to him, of assaulting them after one of them allegedly declined the realtor’s advances.

The ladies lamented that the attack left them with broken heads, broken teeth, and other bodily injuries.

According to The PUNCH, one of the ladies, Thonia Okoye, had made reservations at the club after paying the sum of N200,000 to celebrate her birthday with friends.

It was further gathered that the incident was reported at the Olu Obasanjo Divisional Police Station in Port Harcourt.

Narrating her ordeal in a video posted on TikTok, Okoye said the suspect had approached them at their reserved table and asked if he could join them, but they refused.

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She added that Maduba flared up when he noticed one of the ladies making a video while dancing and ordered her to stop.

Dragged. stripped naked

Okoye accused Maduba of dragging her down the stairs, where she was stripped naked and beaten to a stupor.

“All of a sudden, this certain man called Ceemore Maduba came to sit at our reserved seat, and my friend was making a video. He hit my friend’s phone, saying she was not meant to make a video, and he started threatening us.

“This man and his friends started breaking bottles. They injured my friend; they broke her head, and she was bleeding profusely.

“They broke the teeth of my other friend. They pushed me downstairs, stripped me naked, and beat me mercilessly as if I had stolen something, all because this man came with a Mopol and bodyguards. This is not the first time he would be doing this. We’ve had a lot of people come out to speak against him, that this is the same thing he has done to them at that same Blacbox,” Okoye said.

He smashed a bottle on my head’

Also narrating her ordeal in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, Juliet Obasi said she had travelled from Owerri, Imo State, to Port Harcourt to celebrate with her friend alongside five other ladies.

She alleged that the realtor smashed a bottle on her head during the altercation and even attempted to stab her.

According to her, she was left bleeding profusely and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

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Club management’s failure to act

She further accused the nightclub’s management and security personnel of complacency, claiming that they stood by and failed to intervene as the attack unfolded.

Obasi said the altercation escalated after the man accused one of her friends of recording him, which she denied, insisting she was only making a selfie video. Despite their complaints to the club’s management and security, nothing was done.

“I kept asking the waitress to call the manager to intervene because this was a reserved table, but shockingly, the waitress was more interested in greeting him respectfully. That was when I realised he must be an important person at the club.

“He took a bottle from our table and smashed it on my head. I didn’t even know I was bleeding until people started shouting, ‘You’re bleeding!’ I had to touch my head to confirm. The worst part is that the club’s security and management did nothing,” she alleged.

Another lost tooth

According to Obasi, as she was being rushed out, the man also attacked another girl in their group, breaking her tooth, while the celebrant was physically assaulted, stripped, and beaten by the man and his friends.

“The only mistake we made was going to that club. The only reason we reserved a table was because we knew how the club usually is. If we hadn’t reserved a table, they would have tagged us as prostitutes.

“We paid for our drinks and stayed in our space. This man saw that there were no guys with us, and that’s why he did what he did. Now they are saying he is a big man and nothing will happen to him.

“I’m traumatised. Going out as a lady in this country feels like a crime. I have lost money, jewellery, and even my friend’s clothes were torn. I didn’t know something like this could happen to me,” she said, adding that they would demand CCTV footage from the club as part of efforts to seek justice.

Outrage

Meanwhile, Nigerians on social media have expressed outrage over the incident, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the suspect.

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A Facebook user, Dede Oputamuno Gilbert, said, “This is really sad, and I expect the management of Blackbox to do something about this and take it up. Lessons have to be learnt. Not every girl you see in the club is an OS (a term used for prostitutes). Some young girls have so much money they have made from their legitimate businesses, and they also ball in the club. It is not only insulting but demeaning to see every lady as a dependant, and this should change.”

Another user, Gift Douglas, said, “The CEO of Ceemore should be brought to book immediately. He is bragging that they can’t do him anything. What a world. He thinks every girl is a prostitute like him.”

“Sisters, don’t take this matter for granted. Justice must prevail. Don’t be afraid; report to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command. I believe he will not take this matter for granted,” Oluchi Pamela said.

Vida Ogbonna said, “This is so uncalled for. Wickedness of the highest order! So, young girls cannot have fun with their own money without harassment from the opposite sex? The man should pay for damages and should face the law.”

Rivers police spokesperson silent

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, did not respond to phone calls and messages as of the time of filing this report.

But in a post on X, the police command disclosed that both the club manager and the suspect had been invited for questioning.

“Regarding the lady that was assaulted in the club, the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) within that jurisdiction has expedited action by inviting the hotel manager and the alleged suspect to his office for immediate investigation. I would also like to use this medium to invite the victims involved,” the post read.

Reacting in a video posted on TikTok, the owner of the club, Greatcool Ejekwu, popularly known as “Datfairboy,” condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate and unacceptable.

“The incident at Blackbox is a very sad and pathetic one. No human being has the right to inflict physical injury on anybody, especially when nobody posed any threat. I have already filed a petition with the security agencies to report the incident,” he said.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the owner of the club were unsuccessful, as calls made to the number displayed on the Instagram account were not answered.

Also, attempts to get the reaction of the accused realtor were unsuccessful, as messages sent to his verified Facebook account were not replied to as of the time of filing this report. Attempts to reach him through other known contacts also proved abortive.
(PUNCH)