Nigeria's suspended central bank governor graft case stalls

ABUJA (Reuters) - A case of procurement fraud against Nigeria's suspended and detained central bank governor Godwin Emefiele stalled on Wednesday and no new date was fixed for the hearing.

Emefiele was meant to enter a plea on Wednesday. But he did not appear in court and his case was not listed on the court's cause-list.

The suspended central bank governor faces a 20-count charge of unlawful procurement and conferring unlawful advantage to a central bank employee.

Several local papers on Wednesday reported that Emefiele was exploring a plea bargain to settle the matter out of court.

Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu in June and later detained by state police.

Tinubu, who is embarking on the boldest reforms in Nigeria in more than a decade, has launched a probe of the central bank under Emefiele after criticising its policies at his inauguration in May, especially moves to prop up the naira currency.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha, Editing by William Maclean)