The Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele would flee the country if granted bail.
The office of the Attorney General of the Federation, OAGF, also supported the argument of the DSS, describing Emefiele as a “flight risk.”
Recall that Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Tinubu and subsequently detained by the DSS on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
After the resumed hearing of the suit in which Emefiele is challenging his detention on Tuesday, the DSS denied not allowing his family members and lawyers to visit him.
In its own affidavit, the OAGF dismissed the speculation that Emefiele was being held for terrorist-related crimes. It also said he was not being victimised for his involvement in politics and the botched naira redesign policy.
The OAGF 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 respondents did not subject the applicant to any torture, the details of which have not been provided.”
It added that the suspended CBN boss 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.”
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.
Gazali said the suspended CBN governor was being detained on the order of an FCT Chief Magistrates Court.
