A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to charge Godwin Emefiele, suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to court or release him.
Bellnewsonline.com reports that the judge gave the DSS one week to either charge Emefiele to court if they have criminal allegations against him or release him on bail.
The order was made by Justice Hamza Muazu on Thursday after an application by Joseph Daudu, counsel to Emefiele. Through his counsel, Emefiele demanded a compensation of N5M as damages for his alleged unlawful detention.
Justice Muazu ruled that the Department of State Services (DSS) has the power to make arrests, detain people, and prevent internal crime. However, he said that these duties must be carried out within the law.
The judge specifically stated that the DSS’s arrest power is not unlimited. There are stipulated conditions under which a Nigerian citizen can be held and for how long. These conditions must be met in order for an arrest to be lawful.
Emefiele has been in detention since his arrest on June 9, after President Bola Tinubu suspended him and ordered a probe of the apex bank.
The president asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.