A Federal Capital Territory High Court has issued an order directing the Department of State Services (DSS) to bring criminal charges against Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), if they have any allegations against him. The presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, ruled that if Emefiele is not taken to a competent court within one week, he should be released on bail.
Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on June 9 and instructed to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, the deputy governor of the CBN’s operations directorate. The following day, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in their custody for “investigative reasons.”
In response, Emefiele filed a suit through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu SAN, against the DSS and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) to enforce his fundamental rights.
The court’s ruling signifies that Emefiele should either be charged and brought before a court of law or be released on bail if no criminal charges are presented within the specified timeframe.
