Breaking: Charge Emefiele Within One Week or Release Him, Court Orders DSS

*Says it’s wrong for agency to keep Emefiele while searching for evidence

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Adamu Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to charge the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, to Court within the next one week or release him on administrative bail.

Justice Muazu, who noted that the agency had powers to arrest and detain any person in respect of an alleged crime, however held that the agency cannot continue to keep Emefiele in custody while looking for evidence to file a charge against him.

He gave the order while delivering judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Emefiele, challenging his continued detention by the government.

Emefiele was suspended as governor of CBN by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, to enable investigation of alleged criminal infractions against him. The DSS  later arrested him in Lagos and flew him to Abuja.

He, however, approached the court to challenge the action of the DSS, arguing that his arrest and continued detention is  in breach of his fundamental rights as well as an order of the Federal High Court Abuja, which last year restrained the DSS from harassing, arresting or detaining him over charges bordering on funding of terrorism, financial impropriety amongst others.

Details later.