A federal high court
sitting in Abuja has declined an application by the Department of State
Services (DSS) to arrest and detain Godwin Emefiele, governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), TheCable understands.
In declining the motion ex parte — filed by
an applicant in the absence of the respondent — Justice JT Tsoho, the chief
judge, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to
substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and
economic crimes.
Sources at the high court revealed that the judge said
he should have been taken into confidence if there was any evidence to back the
allegations in the application, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022.
“The honourable judge also wondered why the name of the respondent was given simply as ‘Godwin Emefiele’ without a material disclosure that he is the same person as the CBN governor, a highly ranking public official who occupies an extremely sensitive position,” the source discolsed.
The court said such an application should have been
accompanied with the presidential approval because of the grave implications
for the Nigerian economy if the CBN governor is arrested and detained.
There are suggestions that the bid to arrest Emefiele might
be political given the impact the redesign
of the naira and limit on cash withdrawals might have on vote-buying
in the 2023 elections.
A number of politicians have complained that the naira
redesign is targeted at them but President Muhammadu Buhari has given his full
backing to Emefiele over the policy.
On Monday, a group of civil society organisations raised the
alarm that there was a plot to frame Emefiele for terrorism and remove him from
office.
DON’T BE USED TO UNDERMINE OUR INVESTIGATIONS, DSS WARNS
Meanwhile, DSS has warned Nigerians against being used to
“undermine” its investigations.
In a statement issued on Monday, Peter Afunanya, DSS
spokesperson, said the service will not be distracted by those seeking to use
“propaganda” to undermine its lawful investigations.
Afunanya said one of the duties of the DSS is the “investigation
of matters of national security dimension. It has always discharged this
responsibility in the overall interest of Nigerian citizens”.
“As such, the Service will continue to disseminate
actionable intelligence to the relevant authorities devoid of any sentiment,”
the statement reads.
“While professionally discharging its mandate, the DSS
pledges to remain focused and unbiased. It will not, by any means, succumb to
propaganda, intimidation and the desperation of hirelings to undermine it.
“It will also not give room to the use of falsehood and
deceit to misdirect public understanding and perceptions of issues of national
importance.
“Given not to join
issues, the Service warns those on a wild goose chase to be mindful of their
actions. Similarly, it urges members of the public to disregard the
vituperations and rantings of misguided elements and not allow themselves to be
used as instruments of destabilisation.
“Notably, these elements should remember the famous axiom
that ‘you will only deceive some people, some of the time, but not all people,
all the time’.
“To put it
succinctly, the Service will not be distracted by persons and/or groups from
carrying out its duties to the Nation, citizens, and, President and
Commander-in-Chief.”
Afunanya asked Nigerians to “avoid being used to thwart or
undermine the Service and its lawful investigations as those who wish to act in
the breach will be dealt with in accordance with the law”.
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