DSS RE-ARRESTS EMEFIELE AFTER CLASH WITH PRISON OFFICIALS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Even when a Lagos court had granted the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and directed that he be transferred from Department of States Service custody to the Correctional Service, the secret police re-arrested the suspended CBN chairman on Tuesday.

This happened after a clash with some representatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS), Department of State Services (DSS) agents.

Emefiele was once again detained on the grounds of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, after Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted the troubled and suspended head of the top bank bail in the amount of N20 million with a surety in likesum.

In addition, the judge mandated that Emefiele remain in custody until his bail requirements were met.

Shortly after the decision, DSS agents placed their Hilux Pickup van, which was used to transport Emefiele to court, in a way that suggested they intended to return him to their custody facility.

Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other attorneys became concerned about their client’s impending second arrest by the secret police as a result of their heavy presence in the premises.

The suspended CBN governor and his attorneys remained confined to the courtroom following the verdict.

However, the secret police resisted the jail staff when they attempted to arrest Emefiele while waiting for him to comply with his bail requirements, which resulted in a physical altercation.

Emefiele’s attorneys “reluctantly allowed the DSS to disobey the court order and take custody of their client” during the altercation in order to prevent a shootout.

The DSS took control after the jail officials drove away from the court and left in their vehicle.

The operatives left at exactly 03:03pm, leading the suspended CBN governor out of the courtroom into their waiting vehicle.

Recall that Emefiele was placed on administrative leave by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, 2023. The secret police acknowledged the next day that they had the troubled and suspended CBN chief in their custody.

Emefiele is charged but enters a not-guilty plea.

After multiple court battles in which Emefiele’s attorney contested the DSS’s lengthy incarceration of Emefiele, the secret police finally gave up on July 13, 2023, and stated that the suspended head of the top bank had been charged with a crime.

On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Emefiele was driven to court by DSS agents in a Hilux vehicle

Emefiele, 61, appeared before Justice Oweibo and entered a “not guilty” plea to the two counts of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition that the federal government had brought against him.

In his submissions, Emefiele’s lawyer, Daudu, urged the court to grant bail on self recognizance or on other liberal terms, pending the hearing and determination of the trial.

He said, “There is no counter affidavit from the Federal Government opposing bail. Also, the defendant is a renowned banker and can only stay at his house, he can’t travel anywhere.”

However, counsel for the Federal Government, Nkiru Jones-Nebo, in an oral submission, opposed the bail application, insisting that the prosecution had not been given time to respond in line with the provisions of fair hearing enshrined in the constitution.

She also said that the prosecution had information that the defendant’s refusal to hand in his passport suggested his capacity to evade and abscond from his trial.

“As the governor of the CBN, he is a powerful man, and can intimidate the witnesses. Granting him bail will intimidate the prosecution witnesses who have come forward to give evidence. He can evade trial based on his antecedents. We urge the court to dismiss the bail application,” she argued.

But the court overruled the Federal Government.

The judge also ordered that Emefiele be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, pending the perfection of his bail as against the request of the prosecution that the defendant should be remanded in DSS custody for further investigation on another matter that may soon by filed in court.

However, the secret police fought prison officials who came to the court to take custody of Emefiele and left with him.

The trial has been fixed for November 14, 2023.

In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Oweibo said, “I find and hold that the prosecution has failed to establish why the defendant should not be granted bail.

“Consequently the defendant is admitted to bail in the sum of 20 million naira with one surety in like sum.

“The surety must be owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court who must not be less than Level 16 in the Nigerian Civil Service.

“The defendant must deposit his international passport to the court.

“Case is adjourned to 14th of November for trial.”