THE governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been ordered to appear before a Federal High Court in Abuja tomorrow in connection with a $53 million judgment obligation related to Pars Club refunds.
In a garnishee application filed on October 20, 2022, Justice Inyang Ekwo directed Emefiele to be at the hearing on January 18 of this year.
The order followed the application by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi, against Linas International Ltd, the Minister of Finance and the CBN through his lawyers, Isaac Ekpa and Chinonso Obasi, seeking an order directing the Inspector General of Police to arrest Emefiele and bring him to court alongside his lawyers: Damian Dodo, Audu Anuga, all Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and Ginika Ezeoke, Jessica Iyoke, Abdullahi Afolayan and Olayemi Afolayan.
The case stemmed from an alleged $70 million judgment debt against Linas for the lawyer’s services with the Paris Club refund, of which Emefiele was believed to have only released $17 million, leaving an unpaid balance of $53 million.
The court had on January 23, 2020, ruled that Emefiele must appear “to be examined on oath touching the means you have or have had, since the date of the said garnishee order absolute, to pay the balance of $53 million now due and payable under the said garnishee order absolute and also show cause why you should not be committed to prison for default in payment of the said sum.”
