…..as DSS Issues Warning On Pro-CBN Gov. Protests
A Federal High Court in Abuja turned down an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and detain the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The DSS also issued a statement warning Nigerians against being used to “undermine” its investigations.
The DSS statement came in the wake of protesters numbering over 200 on Monday who stormed the Federal High Court in Abuja following the DSS suit.
Justice JT Tsoho, the Chief Judge, declined the ex-parte motion, on Monday, on the grounds that the DSS failed to provide concrete evidence on claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
Sources at the high court told TheCable that the judge said he should have been taken into confidence if there was any evidence to back the allegations.
“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 told TheCable.
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.
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”.
The DSS statement came in the wake of protesters numbering over 200 on Monday who stormed the Federal High Court in Abuja following the DSS suit.
The protesters claimed to represent the Buhari Legacy Defenders, Arewa Youth Consultative Movement, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Movement, African Centre for Justice and Human rights, Ethnic Youth Leaders, Political Parties Chairmen Forum and Lawyers in Defence of Economic Rights and Justice.
They marched to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation where they submitted a petition against the action of the DSS and demanded the sack of its DG, Yusuf Bichi.
They also submitted similar letters to the office of the President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Inspector-General of Police, among others.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, also alleged that the DSS embarked on the plot to remove the CBN Governor for political and pecuniary reasons.
The leader of the protesters, Tochukwu Ohazuruike, who had earlier addressed a press conference, alleged that the DSS DG and his allies in the plot had already promised someone else the office on the agreement that the cash withdrawal limit policy would be immediately suspended.
The protesters also claimed that the plot of labelling Emefiele a terrorist was to undermine the President, usurp his powers to hire and fire and remove Emefiele from office on the strength that they would get an order to detain him for at least 60 days to impose another person as the Central Bank governor.
The DSS had approached the Federal High Court Abuja in the secret suit under S66 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022 to demand that the court order for Emefiele’s detention for 60 days in the first instance.
