The Federal Territory High Court has restrained the State Security Services (SSS) from instigating arrest, arresting or detaining the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele over allegations of terrorism financing and economic crimes.

An Incorporated Trustee of Forum for the Accountability and Good Leadership had instituted a legal action against the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Inspector General of Police, the State Security Service and the Central Bank of Nigeria over an attempt to arrest and detain Emefiele for alleged economic crimes.

In an originating Notion No. GAR/CV/41/2022, dated December 19 and filed the same day, the applicant asked the court to declare that the continuous harassment, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of the right of office, surreptitious moves to arrest, and humiliation of the CBN Governor, over “trumped-up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices by the second, third and the fourth respondents and their officers are vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive, oppressive and same constitute a flagrant breach of his rights.

The applicant among nine reliefs sought also asked for an award of damages to the tune of N500 million against the second, third and fourth respondents jointly and severally for the alleged continuous harassment and intimidation of the CBN Governor.

Justice M. A. Hassan upon listening to the counsels also restrained the SSS and any person acting through it from inviting, arresting and/or detaining the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the guise of having committed any offence with respect to allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities or in any other manner whatsoever interfering with his rights to freedom of movement, personal liberty, human dignity or interfering with the tenure, functions and discharge of his duties as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria except by an order of a superior court.

Furthermore, the court, relying on the orders of the Federal High Court in Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022, delivered by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John. T. Tsoho, declared any continuous harassment, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of the right of office, surreptitious moves to arrest and humiliation of Mr Godwin Emefiele over allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices by the Service and their officers vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive, oppressive and constitutes a flagrant breach of his rights to personal liberty, the dignity of the human person, right to policy-making powers, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and movement as respectively provided and enshrined under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and therefore, unconstitutional and illegal.

The judge also held that the SSS acted wrongfully and illegally in instigating the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against Emefiele in respect of the exercise of his statutory duty relating to the issuance of Monetary Policies and directives in the interest of national security and the economy.