The Federal High Court in Abuja has set a deadline for former Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele to provide an explanation regarding a $53 million judgment debt linked to the Paris Club refund. Judge Inyang Ekwo has given Emefiele until January 25 to appear in court, warning that a warrant for his arrest will be issued if he fails to comply upon.Emefiele Over $53M Debt.
Emefiele’s counsel, Audu Anuga (SAN), reported that the former governor’s attempts to appear in court had been unsuccessful due to his current custody situation. The case originated from a garnishee proceeding initiated by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Joe Agi against the CBN, aiming to recover a judgment debt of $70 million from Linas International Limited and the Minister of Finance.
The court document revealed that the CBN had already paid a portion of the $70 million to Agi, leaving a remaining balance of $53 million. Justice Ekwo has consistently ordered Emefiele’s appearance in court regarding the matter.
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During the Wednesday’s hearings, Anuga, Emefiele’s attorney, told the judge that he had submitted an affidavit on Monday to provide justification for not issuing an arrest warrant for Emefiele.
The Department of State Services had been holding Emefiele since June 10, so he was unable to appear in court, according to an affidavit submitted by Jeremiah Utaan, a legal officer in the CBN’s legal department, which supports Emefiele’s case, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
“I firmly think that if the honorable court decides to issue a warrant for Godwin Emefiele’s arrest, justice will not be served,” he declared.
The judge next inquired as to whether the judgment creditor’s attorney, I.A. Nnana, had received service.
Nnana replied that he was served on Monday but wanted more time to respond.
In response, Justice Ekwo declared that disobeying court orders would not be tolerated and demanded that Emefiele come before him.
Regarding the fourth respondent (Emefiele), I have consistently stated that contempt actions are taken against an individual regardless of their continued presence.
“In this instance, despite granting this specific individual a great deal of freedom and leniency, nothing seems to be changing.
“There isn’t much conversation because the opposing party claims they want to respond to the process, so I will defer the subject.
Court orders must be followed, and even in the event that no one does so, the court still has to follow its own directive.
“I’ll give you enough time.”
After that, the judge postponed the case until January 25 so that Emefiele could provide justification for why an arrest warrant shouldn’t be issued for him.
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