A High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has scheduled January 8, 2024, as the date for delivering judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit brought against the Federal Government by Mr. Godwin Emefiele, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Presiding Judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi fixed the judgment date on Monday following extensive arguments presented by lawyers representing the involved parties in the case.
The judge also designated the same date for ruling on preliminary objections filed by all four respondents in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/040/2023.
Emefiele had filed a suit against the federal government, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the commission itself alleging a violation of his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement.
Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Mathew Burkaa (SAN), highlighted that the applicant was detained for an extended period of 151 days, well beyond the legally stipulated 48 hours. Burkaa urged the court to rule in favor of Emefiele, emphasizing the breach of his rights and asserting that the government’s actions had kept the former Bank Governor incommunicado.
He further told the court that Emefiele’s rights had been violated and the former CBN governor was apprehensive of being further arrested going by the activities of the respondents after the applicant filed the enforcement suit and his arraignment before Justice Hamza Muazu, also of the Abuja High Court.
The applicant’s further harassment by agents of the respondents, Burkaa submitted, may eventually affect Emefiele’s life. On his part, counsel for the first and second respondents, Oyin Koleosho, urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.
He submitted that the government’s opposition to the suit was based on the authority and the source of information of the deponent to the affidavit in support of the originating summons.
According to him, Emefiele was transferred to the custody of EFCC on October 26, while the application was filed on October 31, saying that between that period there was no contact or communication between Emefiele and the deponent.
