A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Thursday, ordered the immediate and unconditional release of the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The judge, Justice O. Adeniji gave the order following a motion ex parte taken before him by Emefiele’s legal team.

Listed as defendants in the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/040/2023/M/122/2023 are the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the EFCC and its chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Ruling on the application, Justice Adeniji said, “The third and fourth respondents are hereby ordered to unconditionally release the applicant from detention forthwith or in the alternative produce him in court on the date fixed for hearing of the substantive motion on notice for purposes of being admitted to bail by the court.”

“It is hereby further ordered that the motion on notice shall be heard on November 11, 2023. The instant order together with the Motion on Notice shall be served on the respondents on Thursday, November 2, 2023.”

Emefiele was on October 27 arrested immediately after he was released from the custody of the Department of State Services, where he had been kept since June 10.

The embattled ex-CBN helmsman was picked by the DSS in June shortly after President Bola Tinubu ordered his suspension.