A Federal High Sitting in Abuja has ordered the unconditional release of Mr Godwin Emefiele, the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the federal high court presided over by Hon. Justice O. A. Adeniyi ordered the release.
Recall that following the suspension of Emefiele as CBN Governor by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, the Department of State Services (DSS) announced his arrest and detention on June 10.
It was also reported that Emefiele was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 26 less than an hour after the DSS released him.
The EFCC was said to be probing him over alleged impropriety during his term as the head of the apex bank.
However, on Thursday (today), Justice Adeniyi ordered the EFCC along with other respondents to release the embattled former CBN Governor “unconditionally” or produce him in court on Monday 6th November, 2023.
The court order directing the unconditional release of Emefiele reads in full below:
Upon reading the Motion Ex parte filed on 31» October, 2023 and the accompanying affidavit of Dr. Okanta Emefiele praying this Honourable Court for the following:
1. AN ORDER directing immediate and unconditional release of the Applicant from the custody of the 3rd and 4 Respondents pending the hearing and the determination of the Originating Motion.
2. AND FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDERS as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
And upon listening to A Labi-Lawal, Esq. (with Olawale Fapohunda, Esq. Dr. S. M. Oyeghe; I. B. Ahmad, Esq) of learned counsel for the Applicant moving in terms of the motion paper:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
Accordingly, the 3rd & 4th Respondents are hereby ordered to unconditionally release the Applicant from detention forthwith; or in the alternative produce him in Court on the date fixed for hearing of the substantive motion on notice for purposes of being admitted to bail by the Court.
Accordingly, it is hereby further ordered that the motion on notice shall be heard on Monday, 6/11/2023, by 1pm prompt. The instant order, together with the motion on notice shall be served on the Respondents today, 2/11/2023.