Court Summons Emefiele Over Alleged Contempt

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to appear before it on January 18, 2023, to explain his refusal to obey valid order for payment of $70m debt.

Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the fresh order following confirmation that Emefiele has refused to obey the order of the court to pay the judgment debt.

Joe Agi, SAN, had obtained judgment summon against the CBN governor following his persistent refusal to carry out the  order of court on the judgment debt.

But rather than honouring the judgment summon served on him through a newspaper publication, Emefiele, through his lawyer, Damian Dodo, SAN, applied that the summon be set aside.

His ground was that an appeal had been instituted against the court order for the judgment summon.

But counsel for the applicant, Joseph Njikonye, SAN, objected to Emefiele’s motion on the ground that the order for the payment had not been effected.

Njikonye argued that the CBN governor is in contempt of court and must be made to purge himself before the court could give him audience.

In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo agreed that Emefiele must come to equity in clean hand by obeying subsisting order of court on the judgment debt payment or honour judgment summon issued against him to offer reasons for disobeying court order.

The Judge subsequently fixed January 18 next year for the CBN governor to physically and personally appear before the court as required by law.

The Federal High Court had ordered the CBN through Garnishee Nisi absolute to pay the senior lawyer the $70 million being legal fees for services rendered to some states and the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.

Although the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN,  was said to have granted consent for the judgment debt payment, Emefiele was alleged to have been foot dragging in effecting the payment.