The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced that it has charged the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to court.
This development comes after an Abuja High Court directed that Emefiele be charged or released within seven days. Dr. Peter Afunanya, the spokesperson for the DSS, confirmed this in a statement.
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According to the statement, the DSS had previously applied for a court order to detain Emefiele in connection with a criminal investigation in 2022. Although Emefiele obtained a restraining order from an FCT High Court, he was arrested by the DSS in June 2023 based on suspected fresh criminal infractions that form the basis of his current prosecution.
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The DSS assures the public of professionalism, justice, and fairness in handling this matter, emphasizing that it operates within the confines of the law.
Emefiele’s arrest was initially announced by the DSS on June 10, 2023, stating that he was taken into custody for investigative reasons. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had suspended Emefiele the day before his arrest. It was reported that Emefiele was apprehended in Lagos and flown to Abuja by the DSS, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that he was attempting to leave the country.
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Emefiele had been accused by the DSS of offenses related to terrorism and involvement in economic crimes of national security concern. In February, the DSS had stated that preliminary investigations revealed his alleged involvement in terrorism financing and fraudulent activities.
The DSS had previously attempted to arrest Emefiele, but a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order restraining the service from arresting him. The ruling also applied to other defendants, including the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Earlier, another Federal High Court in Abuja rejected the DSS’s ex parte application to arrest and detain Emefiele over the allegations. Justice J.T. Tsoho, the Chief Judge, stated that the DSS did not provide concrete evidence to substantiate their claims of Emefiele’s involvement in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
Upon Emefiele’s return to Nigeria after being away for some time, military personnel and intelligence officers were deployed to ensure that he was not arrested by the DSS. He reportedly returned to his office with heightened security, including military protection.
