A Federal Capital Territory High Court has slammed a N100million fine against the Federal Government and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for unlawfully detaining Godwin Emefiele, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The former CBN governor had filed a fundamental human rights suit following his prolonged detention in the custody of the Department of State Services.
Emefiele prayed the court to order the respondents to pay him N1bn damages and to restrain them from further arresting and or detaining him.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi barred the federal government and any of its agencies, notwithstanding Emefiele’s current trial, from re-arresting, detaining and harassing him over any alleged offence without first obtaining a warrant of arrest from a court of competent jurisdiction.
The judge issued the order after declaring the prolonged detention of Godwin Eme fiele by the Department of State Service (DSS) and EFCC, without trial as a flagrant violation of his fundamental rights.
Adeniyi said the excuse by the federal government that Emefiele was being investigated for other alleged infractions was not tenable.
He further berated security agencies for first arresting and detaining suspect before investigation, adding that the order of detention obtained from a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse, Abuja lacked probative value.
