The Central Bank of Nigeria’s suspended governor was said to have been charged after spending a month in detention as a result of a court order for authorities to either take action against the man or release him.
Godwin Emefiele was charged after being investigated for potential “criminal infractions,” according to Peter Afunanya, spokesman for the Department of State Services, the secret police.
Afunanya’s remarks did not directly address the claims made against Emefiele in the nation’s capital, Abuja. He had been charged by the police in 2022 with economic crimes and supporting terrorism, both of which carried significant prison terms.
The country’s new president, Bola Tinubu, ordered Emefiele’s suspension immediately after taking office in June, citing an investigation into his role as central bank governor and impending changes to the financial sector as justification.
Emefiele, who had been imprisoned for a while, recently sued the secret police, alleging that they had wrongfully imprisoned him and violated his human rights.
A high court in Abuja ruled earlier on Thursday that the former governor of the central bank must either answer to accusations within a week or be released.
“The continued detention of the applicant cannot be justified in the absence of any charge against him. At the very least, justice demands that applicant (Emefiele) should be released on administrative bail,” the local judge said.
Emefiele’s trial is expected to last for an unknown amount of time, but high-profile cases in Nigeria typically go for several months.
The secret police pledged to handle the problem with professionalism, fairness, and justice.
