Court Dismisses Nigerian Secret Police, DSS Suit Seeking Continuous Detention Of Godwin Emefiele

AFederal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has thrown out a suit filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking a 14-day extended detention order for the suspended Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

The DSS’s application, which was reportedly discreetly filed by its legal team on Wednesday, came before the vacation judge on Thursday and was based on purported new evidence it had discovered.

Ruling on the application, Justice Hamza Muazu dismissed the application, citing it as an abuse of court process and identifying the lack of jurisdiction.

SaharaReporters on Tuesday reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State granted bail to Emefiele in the sum of N20 million.

In a ruling by Nicholas Oweibo, the presiding judge, said the charges against Emefiele were bailable.

The bail was granted with one surety.

SaharaReporters also reported that the court rejected the government’s claim that it had not received a copy of the bail application filed by Emefiele in his alleged gun possession trial.

Justice Oweibo had held that there was evidence that the government was served.

The bail application was filed by Emefiele’s lawyers led by Joseph Dauda, SAN.

Dauda had prayed the court to hear the banker’s application seeking bail on self-recognition, noting that his client had fulfilled all the conditions necessary to make the application ripe for hearing.

He noted further that the proof of service endorsed by the AGF’s office was in the court’s file.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the suspended governor pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge filed against him in court by the Department of State Services (DSS).

It had also been reported that the DSS arraigned Emefiele in court.

The DSS operatives arrived at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State, around 9.20am on Tuesday with Emefiele.

SaharaReporters had also reported that a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the release of the suspended CBN Governor from detention, and ordered DSS to charge him before a court of competent jurisdiction within one week.

It had also been reported on July 14 that Justice Bello Kawu, of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja nullified the detention and interrogation of the embattled Governor by the DSS.