Unlawful Detention: Court orders FG to pay N100m to ex-CBN gov, Emefiele

VanguardJan 8, 2024Read original

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, sitting at Maitama, has ordered the Federal Government to pay the sum of N100million to the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele for violating his fundamental rights.

The court, in a judgement that was delivered on Monday by Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, declared as illegal and unconstitutional, the prolonged detention of Emefiele in custody of security agencies, without trial.

It held that FG, through its agencies, flagrantly breached Emefiele’s rights that are enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Consequently, it restrained FG and its agents from re-arresting or detaining him again without an order of court.

The judgement followed a fundamental rights enforcement suit that the erstwhile CBN boss filed to query the legal propriety of his prolonged detention in custody of the Department of State Services, DSS.

He had, among other things, prayed the court to award him damages to the tune of N1billion.

It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had, on June 9, suspended Emefiele from office as the head of the apex bank.

He was later arrested at his Lagos residence by DSS operatives.

Emefiele had, since then, faced a two-count charge of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition before the Federal High Court in Lagos, as well as another corruption charge that FG entered against him before the Abuja High Court.

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