According to documents presented in court on Tuesday by government lawyers, the governor of Nigeria’s central bank, who is now suspended, is being investigated for criminal activity, including the alleged theft of cash.
At the beginning of this month, Godwin Emefiele was taken into custody by state security officers and removed from his position by President Bola Tinubu, who did not disclose the charges that he faced.
His attorney petitioned the Abuja High Court to rule that Emefiele’s continued imprisonment, even the court, violated his constitutional rights and that he should be set free.
Emefiele has not been legally charged with anything at this time.
Lawyers for the government have stated that they successfully obtained an order from a lower magistrate court to continue holding Emefiele while investigations are ongoing.
According to court documents produced by the office of the Attorney General and the Department of State Security, Emefiele faced several allegations, including criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation of funds, each of which carries a significant potential sentence in the event of a conviction.
The attorney for the government argued against Emefiele’s appeal to challenge his imprisonment, stating that only a federal court had the authority to consider the matter because of its complexity.
The decision about whether or not the court has jurisdiction over the matter is scheduled to be made on July 13, according to Judge Hamza Muazu of the Abuja High Court.
