Court Rejects Request Seeking Emefiele’s Continued Stay In DSS Custody

By Akinwale Kasali

Embattled suspended Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele on Thursday, July 27, 2023, got a relief when a Federal Capital Territory, High Court, rejected the request by the Department of State Services, DSS, to keep him in custody for a further 14 days.

The Honourable Justice  Hamza Muazu dismissed the request filed by DSS which came before him.

The DSS had based its application on an alleged new evidence it  discovered.

The application which was filed by the Service’s legal team on Wednesday came before the vacation Judge.

But Justice Muazu dismissed the application, citing it as an abuse of court process and identified  lack of jurisdiction.

Upon questioning by the Judge about the Court ’s jurisdiction, given the exclusive rights of the Magistrate Court to grant detention orders under Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the DSS’s Counsel, Mr. Victor Ejelonu, opted to withdraw the matter.

The application came in the wake of Mr. Emefiele’s re-arrest by the DSS from the Federal High Court premises in Lagos, following an order for  his remand at a Correctional Centre while awaiting the fulfilment of his bail conditions granted by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.