Unlawful detention: Court awards N100m damages to Emefiele

…We detained him with a valid court order — EFCC

A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has awarded N100 million damages to the suspended former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi on Monday awarded damages against the federal government and Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for violations of his rights.

The embattled Emefiele had dragged the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), EFCC to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing and freedom of movement.

Emefiele sought a declaration of the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since June 10, 2023 and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on October 26, 2023 without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondents in deviance of several valid subsisting court orders for his release amounts to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

He, therefore, among others sought an injunction restraining the respondents from further arresting and or further detaining him up on his release by the court without proffering a criminal charge against him.

He also sought damages of N1 billion in his favour for the violation of his fundamental rights.

Meanwhile, reacting to the judgement of the Court, the EFCC in a statement vowed to appeal the judgement of the court.

The anti-corruption body noted that the decision failed to take cognisance of the fact that the former CBN boss was held with a valid order of court.