FCT Court strikes out DSS’ fresh application to continue detention of Emefiele, suspended CBN Gov

By OUR REPORTER, Abuja

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has struck out a fresh application by the Department of State Services (DSS), seeking an order of the court to detain the suspended former Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for another 14 days based on what they referred to as fresh evidence they have uncovered.

The fresh application marked FCT/HC/M/12105/2023, which was discrectly filed on Wednesday by the lawyers from the agency was heard today before, Justice Hamza Muazu, sitting as a vacation judge.

However, after listening to the argument canvassed by the DSS, for the grant of same, Justice Muazu struck it out for being an abuse of court process and for lack of competent jurisdiction.

When the judge probed counsel to the DSS, Victor Ejelonu, on the court’s jurisdiction in view of the provisions of Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which vests exclusive rights on the Magistrate Court to grant detention order, the Counsel applied and withdrew the matter.

The application was an attempt by the DSS to legalize the re-arrest and detention of Emefiele after he was granted bail by the Lagos division of the Federal High Court, where he was arraigned for illegal possession of firearms.

Meanwhile, condemnation and outrage trailed the filing of the Exparte application by the DSS before the FCT High Court seeking an order to detain the suspended former Governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele for a further 14 days.

This application followed the re arrest of Mr. Emefiele from the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos by the security agency after he was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail which was granted by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.

Abuja based Constitutional lawyer, Nnamdi Mba in his reaction said, “You cannot be charging someone to court yet you cannot obey the same court. What the DSS is doing is tantamount to intimidating the courts”.

Another lawyer, C. C. Nwudo who analyzed the situation stated, “Ordinarily, when a person is brought to court and takes his plea, it is no longer the duty of the security agency that brought the defendant to court to determine where the person will be held in custody but the duty of the court. Hence once a Defendant is granted bail, except the judge specifically mentions otherwise, the men of the Nigeria Correctional Service take custody of such person until the bail conditions are perfected. In the case of Emefiele, the DSS practically abducted him from the custody of the Correctional Service and have now filed for an order seeking to further detain him for 14 days when they have held him consecutively for over six weeks and have exhausted the maximum two previous orders to detain him for 28 days. Except they tell a bunch of lies in their application to the judge, no judge knowing the true facts of this matter can grant them such application. I am glad to hear that the judge courageously struck out their application”.

Another lawyer, Mr. Hassan Omale in his own reaction said the abduction of Emefiele by the DSS from the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service without Court order is unlawful and outright criminal and whoever gave the order for such to happen ought to be removed from office immediately.”

With the application having been struck out by the Court, the DSS is now in a very difficult position to continue to further detain Mr. Emefiele who has been in their custody for more than six weeks. They cannot continue to hold him illegally and they cannot get another magistrate order to overrule the order of the High Court since the High Court does not have jurisdiction to grant them such order.

This is yet another judicial loss suffered by the DSS against Emefiele in a case that has been dubbed by many as persecution and personal vendetta.