A High Court in the FCT on Thursday struck out an application filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) to secure an order to detain the suspended former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for a further 14 days.
The DSS had in an application told the court that the agency has uncovered fresh evidence that warrants the request for the order.
The application, which was marked FCT/HC/M/12105/2023 and heard by Justice Hamza Muazu, was quietly filed yesterday by the lawyers from the agency and came up before the vacation judge today.
Justice Muazu struck out the application for being an abuse of court process and for want in jurisdiction.
When the judge questioned counsel to the DSS, Victor Ejelonu, on the court’s jurisdiction in view of the provisions of Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act which vests exclusive rights on the Magistrates’ Court to grant detention order, the counsel withdrew the prayer.
Emefiele was on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum by the Federal High Court in Lagos State.
He was granted bail after pleading not guilty to the two counts bordering on the alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Emefiele is facing two counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition preferred against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice before the vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
