Posted by A key court judgement in the case of Godwin Emefiele is due today, Thursday, July 13, 2023.
Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, had filed a complaint against the Department of State Services (DSS) for his detention and subsequent imprisonment, asserting a breach of his basic human rights. Court Decisions in the Emefiele Case
Emefiele was arrested by the DSS on June 10, shortly after President Bola Tinubu dismissed him from office and launched an inquiry into the Central Bank’s activities.
Emefiele filed the human rights complaint in Abuja before the Federal Capital Territory High Court through his counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN). The respondents in the action include the Federation’s Attorney General, the Director General of the DSS, and the DSS itself.
The respondents raised concerns about the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter during the preliminary objections and sought that it be dismissed.
During the June 20 hearing, the DSS assured Justice Hamza Muazu that Emefiele’s detention was valid, since the DSS had secured a court order from the FCT Chief Magistrates’ Court to keep him in jail until the investigation was concluded.
Tijjani Ghazali (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation’s attorney, contended that the court should not get involved since Emefiele’s arrest and incarceration were administrative actions made by the executive arm of government.
Joseph Daudu, Emefiele’s legal representative, disagreed with their claims and defended the case’s legality.
The decision made today will influence the fate of Emefiele’s basic human rights litigation and provide light on the validity of his arrest and detention by the DSS.