Court Orders Immediate, Unconditional Release of Emefiele

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on Thursday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release with immediate effect the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Adeniyi, who issued the order while delivering ruling in an exparte application, challenging the continued detention of the former CBN boss, ordered the anti-graft agency to in the alternative produce Emefiele in court on Monday, November 6.

The order was issued by the court after listening to the submissions of the exparte application marked: M/122/2023 in a Motion on Notice with the number, FCT/HC/CV/040/2023, filed by Emefiele.

Recall that the former CBN boss was first detained for over four months by the Department of State Service (DSS) over allegations bordering on fraud and abuse of office.

He was arrested in early June shortly after his suspension from office by President Bola Tinubu and has been in custody since then, despite a court order.

He was subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos on alleged illegal possession of firearms and again before a High Court of the FCT, where he and two others, Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro and a company, April1616 Investment Limited were to be arraigned on a 20-count charge bordering on procurement fraud to the tune of N6.9billion.

The arraignment was stalled due to the absence of Yaro, who was said to be sick and the matter has been adjourned few times.

However, following what was suspected to be efforts at out-of-court settlement, the arraignment has been stalled until his recent transfer last week from the custody of the DSS to EFCC.

The continued detention prompted the instant suit and application for release before Justice Adeniyi.

In his ruling, the judge ordered the anti-graft agency to either release the plaintiff/applicant unconditionally or in the alternative produce him before the court next Monday when the Motion on Notice would be heard for the purpose of being admitted to bail.