The Federal High Court in Lagos has approved the request of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to serve the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, with the court’s ruling on his bail.
The ruling was delivered on July 25 and grants Emefiele the permission to publish the bail ruling in three national newspapers that circulate within the court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo specifically allowed the publication to be made through substituted means, considering it a proper and valid service to the prosecutor. This move comes as a preparation for potential contempt proceedings against the DSS and its Director General.
Emefiele’s legal team filed an ex-parte application on July 28, seeking to advertise the court’s ruling after he was rearrested by DSS operatives despite the court order to remand him in the custody of the Correctional Centre until he fulfilled his bail conditions.
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Earlier, Justice Oweibo granted Emefiele bail in the amount of N20 million, with one surety of the same amount, after the Federal Government charged him with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charge.
As part of the bail conditions, the defendant must produce a surety who owns a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction or is a public or civil servant of no less than the rank of a deputy director. Additionally, the surety is required to submit two passport photographs along with an affidavit of means. Emefiele was also instructed to deposit his passport with the court registrar.
An affidavit, sworn by one Samuel Adeogun and filed alongside the ex-parte application, states that despite the bail order, the DSS re-arrested Emefiele and took him away from the court’s premises.
The actions of the secret police make it impractical to serve the DSS personally, thus necessitating the need to bring the court’s order and ruling to the attention of both the complainant and the respondent for prompt action.