An plea by the Department of State Services (DSS) asking for an order extending the detention of the troubled Central Bank of Nigeria Governor (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, was denied by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
On July 25, 2023, the DSS submitted the application, claiming to have found fresh evidence against Emefiele.
However, the application was denied by the court due to lack of jurisdiction.
According to Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Magistrate Court, not the High Court, has the sole authority to issue detention orders. This was stated by Justice Hamza Muazu.
Victor Ejelonu, a DSS attorney, subsequently withdrew the application.
The DSS’s application to detain Emefiele for 14 more days came in the wake of his re-arrest by the agency from the Federal High Court premises in Lagos on Tuesday.
Emefiele is facing charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms. He has denied the charges and was granted bail.
