“Nigerian Central Bank to Pay German N63.7m, $10,000 for Illegal Detention”

At the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been ordered to pay a German, Martin Gegenheimer, the sum of N63.7 million and $10,000, which was awarded against the Nigerian government for his unlawful arrest and detention by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

The ruling, which was made on February 22, 2024, is a result of a garnishee proceeding brought by Gegenheimer’s lawyer, Daniel Makolo, to enforce a judgment given by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2021.

Gegenheimer was arrested and detained by the NIS in February 2020 while on a business trip to Nigeria.

He was held for 10 days before being released.

The German subsequently sued the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Court, claiming that his arrest and detention were illegal.

In its ruling, the ECOWAS Court found that the Nigerian government had violated Gegenheimer’s rights and awarded him the sum of N63.7 million and $10,000 in damages.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has now ordered the CBN to pay this amount to Gegenheimer from the Federal Government’s funds in its custody.

The CBN had argued that it could not pay the entire judgment sum as the government’s foreign exchange accounts were currently in deficit.

However, the court rejected this argument and ordered the CBN to make the payment.

This case highlights the importance of respecting the rights of individuals and the consequences of illegal actions by government agencies.

It also serves as a reminder to governments to ensure that their actions are in line with the law and that they are held accountable when they violate the rights of their citizens or foreign nationals.