August 01, (THEWILL) – The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), leave to serve the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, by substituted means, the order of court admitting him to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS)
Justice Oweibo granted the order following an ex-parte application filed by Emefiele’s counsel, Mrs Ogonnaya Sonuga.
The application followed the re-arrest of Emefiele by the DSS after a July 25 order of a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, which granted him a N20m bail on a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo had, in a ruling on Tuesday, July 25, ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
But Mrs Sonuga, in an ex-parte application dated July 28, 2023, prayed for “An order of this Honourable Court granting leave to the Defendant/Applicant to serve the Complainant through and on the office and person of the Director General, Department of State Services, Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi, with the Ruling/Order of Court obtained on the 25th day of July 2023 “admitting the defendant/Applicant to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in Three (3) National Daily Newspapers Circulating within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and which said service will be deemed as good and proper service on the Prosecutor/Complainant herein” – Daily Trust Newspaper. – Punch Newspaper. – THISDAY Newspaper.
“And for such orders and further orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
In a 15-paragraph Affidavit in support of the application, Adeogun Samuel (SAN), argued that despite the bail order, the DSS re-arrested and whisked Emefiele away from the premises of the court.
“That by the actions exhibited by the Department of State Services on the 25th of July 2023, it will be practically impossible to serve the DSS personally,” he said.
Justice Oweibo, after listening to the arguments, granted the prayers.
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