A Federal High Court in Abuja has threatened to issue an arrest warrant for Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Nairametrics gathers that the arrest warrant comes after he failed to appear in court to explain a $53 million judgment debt related to the Paris Club refund.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, stated that he was inclined to restrain the proceedings to allow Emefiele to present his side.
Emefiele’s lawyer informed the court that they had been unable to reach him since the last court order, as he had been in detention.
The court had previously ordered Emefiele to appear on several occasions, but he did not comply.
The case originated from a lawsuit filed by legal practitioner Joe Agi, who sought the payment of a judgment debt.
Emefiele was ordered to appear in court, but his suspension as CBN governor and subsequent arrest and detention complicated the proceedings.
The court has now set a new date for Emefiele and the CBN to show cause why an arrest warrant should not be issued against him.
The dispute that led to the judgement
The dispute revolves around a $70 million judgment against Linas International Ltd, which Emefiele was accused of only releasing $17 million, leaving a remaining balance of $53 million.
Nairametrics reports that the judge, on June 6, ordered Emefiele to appear before it on July 19.
President Bola Tinubu, on June 9, suspended him as CBN governor and he was directed to transfer his responsibilities to the deputy governor, operations directorate.
Emefiele’s arrest and detention
Almost immediately after Emefiele’s suspension, on June 10, the Department of State Services (DSS) publicly declared his arrest and subsequent detention.
When the hearing resumed on Wednesday, Ayodele Arotiowa, representing Agi, was preparing to make a submission when Justice Ekwo inquired whether Emefiele’s lawyer had adhered to the court’s order.
- “We made an effort to see how we can communicate with the 4th respondent (Emefiele) but the 3rd respondent (CBN) was unable to communicate with the 4th respondent.
- “We rely only on public communication that the 4th respondent is incarcerated and have been unable to communicate with him,” Anuga responded.
He mentioned that there was a new development concerning Emefiele’s ability to represent the CBN.
The judge clarified that the CBN was not involved in this matter and emphasized that Emefiele was being sued in his capacity.