A recent court ruling has declared the arrest and ongoing detention of Godwin Emefiele, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, by the Department of State Services (DSS) as invalid. This ruling comes shortly after a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja had already ordered Emefiele's release. Emefiele had sought the court's intervention against various parties, including the Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector General of Police, the State Security Service, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Justice Kawu, who presided over the case, concluded that Emefiele's arrest and detention violated a previous ruling by Justice M. A. Hassan. Emefiele's lawyer, Peter Abang, requested the court to nullify his client's arrest and detention, emphasizing that it disregarded Justice Hassan's ruling issued on December 29, 2022.
Justice Bello Kawu agreed with the argument that the arrest and detention were in direct contradiction to Justice Hassan's standing order. The court further invalidated any arrest warrant obtained by the DSS and ordered Emefiele's immediate release from custody.
Following the court's decision, Emefiele's legal counsel expressed appreciation for the courage displayed by Nigerian judges and urged the DSS to promptly comply with the court order. Additionally, he highlighted the deterioration of Emefiele's health during his one-month detention and stressed the importance of allowing him to address his health concerns.
