By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT has issued a week’s ultimatum to the Department of the State Security Service (DSS) to either charge the detained suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to court or set him free.
The Judge issued the order on Thursday while delivering ruling in a fundermrntal human rights suit instituted against the DSS and others by Emefiele.
Justice Muazu held that the DSS has power to carry out its constitutional duties of making arrest, detain and ensuring prevention of internal crime but said that such duties must be carried out within the ambit of the law.
He said that the arrest power of DSS was not at large as the law stipulated conditions under which a Nigerian citizen must be held and for how long.
Emefiele had dragged the Attorney General of the Federation AGF, Director General DSS and DSS seeking enforcement of his fundermrntal human rights to freedom of movement and dignity to human life.
In the suit instituted on his behalf by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Joseph Daudu, the suspended CBN Governor had applied that his arrest and detention since June 10 without valid order of court be voided and set aside.
Emefiele demanded a compensation of N5M as exemplary damages for his alleged unlawful detention.