By Bayo Davids
More condemnations have continued to trail the re-arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the latest coming from a civil society organization.
Joining the conversation on Wednesday, the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) described the action of the Department of State Services who again picked up the embattled CBN boss on grounds of terrorism as laughable, having been asked not to arrest him by a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
It would be recalled that following Emefiele’s arraignment on Tuesday in Lagos, the DSS clashed with officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service over who should have custody of him after he was granted bail by Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos to the tune of N20 million.
In a rather show of shame, Emefiele was forcefully bundled into a waiting van belonging to the secret police after a scuffle with men of the correctional service.
In a statement by the CSO signed by its Strategic Communication Consultant, Mr. Abubakar Isa, ACJHR chided the DSS for its conduct, describing same as unlawful and shameful.
The statement reads, “it’s laughable that a supposed intelligence agency, re-arrested Emefiele on claims of something that has already been ruled on by a competent court of law. Is the DSS now saying that the judiciary is wrong, incompetent and their judgment doesn’t matter so long as it doesn’t favour them?
“Months ago, Justice M. A. Hassan of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) restrained the Department of State Services and four others from arresting or detaining Emefiele over alleged terrorism financing. The judge held that the DSS acted wrongfully and illegally in instigating President Muhammadu Buhari against Godwin Emefiele in respect of the exercise of his statutory duty relating to the issuance of monetary policies and directives in the interest of the National Security and economy.
“Again, recently a High Court sitting in Abuja presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered DSS to immediately release Emefiele, from detention or charge him to court.
“It’s clear that the secret police has a vendetta against Emefiele because despite several court rulings, the operatives have refused to obey any and have continued to disrespect the judiciary.
“It’s a huge disgrace what happened at the federal high court Lagos yesterday (Tuesday). President Tinubu should not allow the DSS to tarnish his hard earned reputation as a world renowned democrat.”