In a recent legal development, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja has ruled in favor of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), awarding him damages amounting to $100,000 (N100,000,000) for what the court deemed as his unlawful detention.
Presided over by Judge Olukayode Adeniyi, the court determined that the actions of the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in detaining Mr. Emefiele during their investigative procedures constituted a violation of his fundamental right to liberty.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, stems from a lawsuit initiated by Mr. Emefiele challenging his extended detention by the EFCC. In addition to awarding damages, the court issued an injunction prohibiting the federal government and its agents from re-arresting Mr. Emefiele without obtaining a court order from a competent jurisdiction.
Judge Adeniyi noted that the period of Mr. Emefiele’s detention, spanning from June 13 to November 8, 2023, when the court mandated his release to his legal representatives, amounted to nearly five months. Emefiele’s legal counsel, Mr. Mathew Burkaa, argued before the court that the extended detention of his client for 151 days, contrary to the legal stipulation of 48 hours, warranted judgment and damages in favor of Mr. Emefiele.
During the proceedings, an investigator appointed by the Nigerian government under the administration of Bola Tinubu claimed to have uncovered allegations of misappropriation of funds, asserting that Mr. Emefiele and other officials purportedly stole billions of naira from the CBN’s accounts. The EFCC is presently pursuing charges of procurement fraud against the former CBN chief, although Emefiele vehemently denies these allegations.
