Paris Club refund: Again, court summons Emefiele over $53m judgment debt

The federal high court in Abuja has again summoned Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), over a $53 million judgement debt arising from the Paris Club refunds.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, on Tuesday, insisted that the court will not hear Emefiele’s motion for stay until he appears before it.

BACKGROUND

The case started due to an alleged $70 million judgment debt against Linas International Ltd for the lawyer’s (Joe Agi) assistance with the Paris Club refund.

Emefiele allegedly only released $17 million, leaving $53 million in unpaid debt.

On January 23, 2020, the court ruled that the CBN governor 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”.

In October 2022, Agi, through his counsel Isaac Ekpa and Chinonso Obasi, filed another application against Linas International, minister of finance, and the CBN, seeking “an order directing the inspector-general of police to arrest Emefiele and bring him to court alongside his lawyers: Damian Dodo, Audu Anuga, both senior advocates of Nigeria, and Ginika Ezeoke, Jessica Iyoke, Abdullahi Afolayan, and Olayemi Afolayan”.

The court granted the application and ordered Emefiele to appear in court on Wednesday, January 18.

However, at the court session on January 18, the case was adjourned to March 20.

In a suit dated January 12, Emefiele asked the court appeal in Abuja to set aside an order of a federal high court compelling his appearance in a $53 million judgment debt proceedings.

TUESDAY’S COURT PROCEEDINGS

At the resumption of the hearing on Tuesday, Ayodele Arotiowa, counsel to Agi, told the court that at the last adjourned date, Emefiele was asked to appear before the court.

Arotiowa added that the order has not been obeyed by the CBN governor.

Responding, Audu Anuga, counsel to Emefiele and CBN, said the court did not sit on the last adjourned date.

Anuga told the court that his client had filed an appeal against the order alongside a motion of stay.

Responding to Anuga’s comment, the presiding judge said the court order prompted Emefiele to appeal so that he did not appear in court.

Ekwo said the court would not entertain the motion for stay until Emefiele appears before it.

“I am not going to hear you on this application until Mr Godwin Emefiele appears in court,” the judge said.

“Therefore, I am going to give you a date for you to report to the court in compliance with the order of the court.

“Upon being aware that the motion for stay of execution is a live matter in this court, this court shall not hear that application unless and until Mr Godwin Emefiele who has been ordered to appear in court appears in court.

The case was adjourned to July 19.