The Federal Capital Territory(FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has issued a directive to the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, ordering that lawyers be granted access to Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Emefiele was arrested on June 10th at his residence in Lagos and subsequently transported to the SSS headquarters in Abuja, where he is believed to be undergoing interrogation. The SSS had accused him of terrorism financing, although no formal charges have been presented against him.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, concerned about his client’s prolonged detention by the spy agency, approached the court to seek an order compelling the SSS to allow him access to Emefiele. In the fundamental rights suit filed before Judge Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court in Abuja, Daudu explained that he had written letters to the SSS on June 14th requesting a meeting with Emefiele, but received no response.
See also: President Tinubu Suspends Emefiele As CBN Governor
In response, the SSS’s lawyer, I Awo, informed the court that the agency was willing to grant such requests and had already provided access to Emefiele for authorized lawyers and family members. Taking into account the arguments presented by both parties, the judge ordered the SSS to permit Emefiele’s lawyers and family members to visit him.
The case has been adjourned until June 19th for further proceedings. It is worth noting that in December of the previous year, the SSS had sought an order from the Federal High Court in Abuja for the arrest of Emefiele. However, Chief Judge John Tsoho declined the request, stating that there was insufficient information to justify such an order. The SSS had previously accused Emefiele of funding the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and undermining the Nigerian economy, among other serious allegations.
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