Nigeria: Court orders govt to pay compensation to embattled former central bank chief

A court in the Nigerian capital Abuja has awarded the sum of 100,000 dollars (N100, 000 000) in damages to Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for his unlawful detention. 

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) judge Olukayode Adeniyi, ruled that the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)'s detention of Mr Emefiele in the course of their investigation was a violation of his right to liberty.

The judge gave the ruling Monday in a suit brought by Mr. Emefiele challenging his detention for several weeks by the EFCC. It restrained the federal government and its agents from re-arresting Mr Emefiele unless an order was obtained through a competent court.

According to Adeniyi, “between June 13 and November 8, 2023, when the court ordered the release of Emefiele to his lawyers, was nearly five months.”  Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr. Mathew Burkaa, in a suit had told the court that the applicant was detained for 151 days contrary to the law stipulating 48 hours and had urged the court to enter judgement and award damages in favour of Emefiele. 

An investigator appointed by the Nigerian government under the present Bola Tinubu administration said it discovered how billions of naira were allegedly stolen by Mr Emefiele and other officials from the CBN’s accounts. The EFCC is currently prosecuting the former CBN chief on procurement fraud charges.  

Emefiele has vehemently denied the allegations.