Court Strikes Out Emefiele Brothers’ Suits Against DSS, AGF

A Federal Capital Territory High court has struck out two separate fundamental rights enforcement suits by two siblings of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, against the Attorney General of the Federation and the Department of State Services.

The two brothers, George Emefiele and Okanta Emefiele, had separately approached the court, seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the secret police from inviting, intimidating, harassing, and arresting or detaining them on any matter relating to the ongoing investigation of the suspended apex bank governor by the DSS.

At the resumed hearing of the cases on Wednesday, counsel for the applicants, Grace Ehusani, informed the court that the applicants separately filed a notice of discontinuance of the case, though she did not give any reasons for the application.

On his part, counsel for the DSS, Ibrahim Awo, urged the court to dismiss the case, instead of striking it out as requested by the applicants’ counsel.

He added a cost of N2 million should be slammed against the applicants in favour of the respondents.

Counsel for the AGF, Maimuma Lami-Sheru agreed with Awo’s request.

Ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Okpe, struck out the cases and ordered that no cost should be paid by the applicants.