Justice Nicholas Oweibo determined that the application concerning the court’s jurisdiction had priority and would be heard alongside another action filed by the government requesting leave to appeal the ruling granting bail to the suspended CBN governor.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Victor Opara, counsel to the suspended CBN Governor, told the court that the case was “germane and superior by reason of the DSS’s persistent, relentless disobedience to a clear, direct, and potent order of the court on his client’s bail application.”
He informed the judge that he had only been supplied with the prosecution’s response to the move to stay the trial of the suspended CBN Governor this morning. He also requested a brief adjournment to allow him to respond to the Prosecution’s response on grounds of law. KA Fagbemi, an assistant chief state attorney for the FG, disagreed. She informed the court that the prosecution had initially filed an application requesting leave to appeal and a stay of the court’s proceedings pending appeal. She requested the court to hear the FG’s case and grant Emefiele’s application an adjournment.
“Our motion comes first on the principle of first in time, and it is ready for hearing.” It is trite that any application that attempts to bring a case back to life and another that seeks death should be taken first…”
On August 8, the suspended CBN governor filed a motion with the Federal High Court in Lagos to prevent the Federal Government from pursuing him further for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, or any other offence.
He is also seeking a court judgment dismissing him of all offenses charged by the government because he is in “brazen disobedience” of the court’s existing orders granting him release on July 25, 2023. And another judgment preventing the FG from receiving any more indulgence from the courts unless and until it complies with the bail ruling.
The suspended CBN Governor filed the motion before Vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who admitted him to bail after his arraignment, through his counsel led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu.
