Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi of the FCT High Court has reaffirmed his earlier order that former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele be either released on bail or be produced in Court.
The court has therefore ordered that the embattled ex-CBN helmsman be produced in court on Wednesday November 8 for the purpose of admitting him to bail.
Adeniyi, who was taken aback by the claims of the EFCC rejected same at today’s proceedings.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has refused to produce Emefiele before the court.
The release order that was made on November 2 was said by to have been ignored owing to some alleged confusions in the interpretation of the court order.
But at the proceedings on Monday, the Judge warned that the consequences of flouting the fresh order would be enforced to the letters.
At the resumed hearing of his fundamental rights enforcement suit, Emefiele through his counsel, Mathew Burkaa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN had complained bitterly that the anti-graft agency did not obey the lawful clear order issued since November 2.
He drew the attention of Justice Adeniyi to the fact that his client had spent 149 days in the custody of the Federal Government agencies since June 10 when he was first arrested by the operatives of the Department of the State Service DSS.
Upon being called for explanations on why the Court order was not obeyed, EFCC lawyer, Farouk Abdalla admitted that his client was actually served with the release order.
He however hinted that the order could not be carried out because of ‘slight confusion’ observed in the order.
Justice Adeniyi who was not impressed with the claim of the EFCC lawyer ordered him to read in the open Court, Order 4 Rule 3 guiding the enforcement of fumdermental human rights suit.
The Judge said that the order as issued by him was clear, had no ambiguity or predicated on any condition for the anti- graft agency to toy with.
Abdalla later apologized for the failure to comply with the order stating that EFCC, as an agency of government established by law, would not take Court order for granted or treat it with levity.
He repeatedly assured that his client would carry out the order because it has no option than to obey all lawful orders of court.
Although the EFCC prayed for his motion on notice to be heard, Justice Adeniyi ordered that the subsisting order must be first obeyed.
He consequently gave the anti- graft agency till November 8 for Emefiele to be unfailingly produced in Court for the purpose of admitting him to bail.
Oyin Koleoso who stood as Counsel to the Federal Government and the Attorney General of the Federation AGF observed that some vital documents pleaded in the affidavit of Emefiele were not in the processes served on his clients promoting the Court to order the plaintiff’s lawyer to rectify the anomalies before the adjourned date.
