The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court turned down the Department of State Security’s (DSS) request to hold Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on charges of supporting terrorism and economic crimes.
In a ruling on December 29, Justice M. A. Hassan said that the DSS couldn’t continue to harass, humiliate, or shame Mr. Emefiele or threaten to jail or detain him over false claims that he was helping terrorists and running shady businesses.
POST NIGERIA gathered that the originating motion was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership to enforce the Fundamental rights of Mr. Emefiele.
The case was against the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Inspector General of Police, the DSS, and the CBN.
The judgment further restrained the DSS and any person acting through them from inviting, arresting, and/or detaining Emefiele in the guise of having committed any offense with respect to allegations of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities, etc.
It noted that there should be no interference with his rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, and human dignity or interfering with the tenure, functions, and discharge of his duties as the CBN governor, except by an order of a superior court.
The court relying on the orders of the Federal High Court in Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 delivered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court Justice J. T. Tsoho lampooned the DSS and declared any continuous harassment of Emefiele as vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive and oppressive.
The court further said it constitutes a flagrant breach of his rights to personal liberty, dignity of the human person, right to policy-making powers, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and movement as respectively provided and enshrined under the Constitution of Nigeria.
The judge further held that DSS acted illegally in instigating President Muhammadu Buhari against Emefiele in respect of the exercise of his statutory duty relating to the issuance of monetary policies and directives in the interest of national security and the economy.
Remember how Comrade Timi Frank, a former APC deputy national publicity secretary, pleaded with the DSS to abandon their plan to detain Emefiele?
On Monday, December 19, Comrade Frank responded to accusations made by the Coalition of United Political Parties in Abuja.
He also urged President Buhari to issue a directive to the DSS and other agencies not to worsen the nation’s already tense security situation.
