Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has slammed a 100 million naira fine against the Federal Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for unlawfully detaining former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Justice Adeniyi further barred the Federal Government and any of its agencies, notwithstanding Emefiele’s current trial, from re-arresting, detaining, and harassing him over any alleged offence without obtaining a warrant of arrest from a court of competent jurisdiction.
The judge issued the order after declaring Emefiele's long detention for over five months by the Department of State Service (DSS) and EFCC illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
According to him, the excuse by the Federal Government that Emefiele was being investigated for other alleged infractions was not tenable, adding that the order of detention obtained from a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja, lacked probative value.
He further criticized security agencies for first arresting and detaining suspects before conducting an investigation.
Moreover, the EFCC has expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment and said it would approach the Court of Appeal to set it aside while noting that the judge failed to accept that the Commission held the former CBN boss to a valid court order.
