The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele leave to serve the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi the order of court admitting him to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted the order Tuesday following an ex-parte application moved by Emefiele’s counsel, Mrs Ogonnaya Sonuga.
The court on July 25, 2023, granted the bank chief N20million bail and ordered that he should be remanded at the Correctional Ikoyi Centre after he was arraigned on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He was re-arrested shortly after by the DSS, on the court’s premises.
In his July 28 ex-parte application, Emefiele asked for an order granting leave to him to serve the office and person of the Director General Department of State Services Mr Yusuf Magaji Bichi with the Ruling/Order of Court obtained on the 25 day of July, 2023 “admitting the defendant/Applicant to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in Three (3) National Daily Newspapers circulating within the jurisdiction of the court and which said service will be deemed as good and proper service on the Prosecutor/Complainant herein”
“And for such orders and further orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case”.
Consequently Justice Oweibo granted the prayers.
In a 15-paragraph Affidavit in Support of the application deposed to by Adeogun Ayodele Samuel from the law firm of Victor Opara, SAN, he stated that the court had on July 25 ordered that he be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service pending the perfection of his bail.
The deponent stated that despite the order granting bail to him the DSS re-arrested and whisked him away from the premises of the court.
“That by the actions exhibited by the Department of State Services on the 25th of July 2023 it will be practically impossible to serve the DSS personally.”