In a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Justice O. Adeniji issued a directive on Thursday, mandating the immediate and unconditional release of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This ruling came after an ex parte motion presented by Emefiele’s legal team before the court. The case, tagged FCT/HC/CV/040/2023/M/122/2023, involves the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the EFCC, and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede as defendants.
Justice Adeniji’s verdict stated, ‘The third and fourth respondents are hereby ordered to unconditionally release the applicant from detention immediately. Alternatively, if not released, they are to produce him in court on the scheduled date for the substantive motion hearing for the purpose of court-adjudicated bail for the applicant.’
“It is hereby further ordered that the motion on notice shall be heard on November 11, 2023. The instant order together with the Motion on Notice shall be served on the respondents on Thursday, November 2, 2023.”
We reported that the EFCC arrested Emefiele on October 27 immediately after he was released from the custody of the Department of State Services, where he had been kept since June 10.
The embattled ex-CBN helmsman was picked by the DSS in June shortly after President Bola Tinubu ordered his suspension.
