An Abuja High Court sitting at Maitama, on Thursday, ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to within seven days, release the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, from detention or charge him to court.
The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Hamza Muazu, held that Emefiele’s continued detention without trial, amounted to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.
Justice Muazu held that the Nigerian Constitution was founded on the rule of law which he said pre-supposed that everything must be done according to the law.
“Detention, no matter how small can amount to a breach of fundamental rights,” the court held, adding that since allegations against the embattled suspended CBN Governor contained bailable offences, the DSS ought to grant him administrative bail, pending his prosecution.
Nevertheless, the court, said that there was evidence before it to show that there was an order from an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court that permitted the security agency to detain Emefiele for a period of 14 days to enable it to conclude its investigations.
