Justice Hamza Muazu of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has directed the director general of the Department of State Services (DSS) to grant unrestricted access to the lawyers and family members of the detained and suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
The judge gave the order yesterday sequel to an ex parte application in a motion marked FCT/HC/CV/6450/23 brought by his Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu.
The attorney general of the federation and the director general, DSS, are listed as respondents in the suit.
Daudu had lamented that the DSS spurned his requests to have an audience with the embattled suspended CBN governor who is in its (DSS) custody.
He told the court that he had written letters to the respondents, particularly on June 14, 2023, for the purpose of taking further instruction from him, but the DSS has refused to respond to the application.
Counsel for the DSS, Mr. I. Awo, denied the allegation.
He said his client has not been known to reject such requests in the past and that the denial of access was inappropriate.
However, he assured the court that the agency would comply with its order.
In his ruling, Justice Muazu emphasised that access is a constitutional right of Emefiele.
“The lawyers of the applicant shall have access to the applicant immediately, and regularly at reasonable time, pending the determination of the application,” he said in the enrolled order dated June 16 and adjourned further hearing on Emefiele’s fundamental right enforcement suit to June 19.
Recall that the embattled CBN governor was arrested by the DSS on Saturday, June 10 in the wake of his suspension on June 9 by President Bola Tinubu.
