Court awards Emefiele N100m damages against FG, EFCC

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the FCT High Court on Monday awarded N100 million in damages to the suspended former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, against the Federal Government and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for violations of his rights.

The embattled Emefiele had dragged the Federal Government, Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and EFCC to enforce his fundamental rights to life, personal liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of movement.

Emefiele sought a declaration from the court that his continued detention by the agency of the first and second respondents since June 10, 2023, and subsequent transfer to the custody of the third and fourth respondents on October 26, 2023, without being arraigned in court is unlawful.

He said the respondent, in defiance of several valid subsisting court orders for his release, amounts to a grave violation of his fundamental rights to life and personal liberty, as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

He, therefore, among others, sought an injunction restraining the respondents from further arresting and/or further detaining him on his release by the court without presenting a criminal charge against him.

He also sought damages in the amount of N1 billion in his favour for the violation of his fundamental rights.