Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has ruled against a request filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking a 14-day extended detention order for the suspended Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
GOOD EVENING NIGERIA learns that the DSS had sought the extension based on what they claimed to be new evidence discovered in the case.
The application was discreetly filed by the DSS’s legal team on Wednesday and came before the vacation judge today.
Justice Muazu dismissed the application, citing it as an abuse of court process and identifying the lack of jurisdiction.
Upon questioning by the judge about the court’s jurisdiction, given the exclusive rights of the Magistrate Court to grant detention orders under Sections 293 and 296 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the DSS’s counsel, Mr. Victor Ejelonu, opted to withdraw the matter.
GOOD EVENING NIGERIA had reported that the DSS, after confrontations with officers of Nigerian Correctional Service, at the Federal High Court premises in Lagos, re-arrested Emefiele, who was awaiting the fulfilment of his bail conditions granted by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
More details to come…