By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Department of State Services (DSS) has been directed to release or charge the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, to court within one week.
This directive was given on Thursday by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
Mr Emefiele was first appointed as the CBN chief in 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan and was reappointed for another term of five years by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.
Before the 2023 general elections in February, the apex bank came up with a Naira redesign policy, which the incumbent President, Mr Bola Tinubu, said was formulated to frustrate his chances of winning the presidential election.
This speculation was fuelled after Mr Emefiele was rumoured to be planning to contest the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with Mr Tinubu and others.
Mr Tinubu won the presidential election and was sworn in on May 29, 2023, and on June 9, he suspended Mr Emefiele.
The embattled central bank chief was later arrested by the secret police, which has kept him in their custody.
He challenged his continued detention by the DSS, and today, the court said the agency must charge him to a court of competent jurisdiction if he has violated any law.