July 27, (THEWILL) – The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has dismissed an application filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking a 14-day extended detention order for the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The DSS had approached the court presided over by a vacation judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, to seek further extension order to detain Emefiele.
In a supportive affidavit, the Service, through its counsel, Victor Ejelonu, argued in an application filed on Wednesday, that it discovered purported new evidence against Emefiele.
In a ruling on Thursday, Justice Muazu dismissed the application, citing it as an abuse of court process.
Addressing issues of jurisdiction, Justice Muazu held that the Magistrate Court holds exclusive rights to grant detention orders under Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
THEWILL reports that a vacation judge of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, on Tuesday, admitted Emefiele to a N20m bail and ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
The DSS, however, rearrested the suspended apex bank chief after a scuffle with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service at the premises of the Court in Lagos.
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