The Department of State Services (DSS) has asserted that the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele will flee if granted bail. The country’s secret police submitted at Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday during the hearing of a suit filed by the embattled suspended CBN governor against the DSS.
According to the DSS, Emefiele was being held in pursuant to an order of a competent court, noting that he was arrested “upon reasonable suspicion of committing acts which constitute a criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public funds, economic sabotage, economic crimes of national security dimension and undermining the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The former head of the apex bank is challenging his detention by the DSS and denying him seeing his family members and lawyers, even though the secret police argue that he is allowed to see his family even before the suit.
At yesterday’s hearing, along with the DSS, the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF ) also argued that granting him bail is risky because he is a “flight risk.”
In their separate counter-affidavits filed in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Emefiele, both the DSS and OAGF insisted that he should not be granted bail.
The OAGF in its own affidavit said “Issues of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities are not part of the grounds for the arrest and detention of the applicant.
“The respondents have not violated the applicant’s right to live in any way, his life is not in danger. The respondents did not subject the applicant to any judicial adjudication to warrant the allegation of denial of a fair hearing.
“With the remand order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the said violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of movement does not arise.”
The OAGF insisted that the respondents did not subject the applicant to any torture, the details of which have not been provided.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Tijani Gazal, who represented the OAGF, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that Emefiele’s allegation of unlawful detention was unfounded.
After hearing arguments from parties, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned until July 13 for a ruling.
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