The Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday rejected the Department of State Services’ request to summon, question, and prosecute the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The presiding Judge, Justice M.A. Hassan, barred the secret police from interfering with Mr. Emefiele’s fundamental rights after hearing the Originating Motion brought before him by the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership to enforce Mr. Emefiele’s fundamental rights.
The “Originating Motion” was launched against the “Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Inspector General of Police, the State Security Service, and the Central Bank of Nigeria,” according to court records acquired by PulseNets.
The presiding Judge further barred the State Security Service from further harassing, insulting, and degrading Mr. Emefiele, as well as threatening to imprison or detain him over fabricated charges of terrorist financing and fraudulent operations.
In reference to the earlier judgement of the orders of the Federal High Court in Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 delivered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice J. T. Tsoho, the Court lashed out at the secret Police and declared as vindictive any continuous harassments, intimidation, threats, and restrictions on free movement.
“It would constitute, abuse of right of office, surreptitious moves to arrest and humiliation of Mr. Godwin Emefiele over the trumped up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practice’
“In light of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, the DSS acted wrongfully and illegally in instigating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Mr Emefiele in respect of the exercise of his statutory duty relating to the issuance of monetary policies and directives in the interest of national security and the economy,” the court averred.
