The Department of State Services (DSS), Thursday, said it has charged the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele to court.
The spokesman of the Service, Dr Peter Afunanya, made this known in a statement after an Abuja High Court directed that Emefiele be charged or released within seven days.
The statement reads: “Sequel to an Abuja High Court Order of today, 13th July 2023, the Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele has been charged to Court in compliance with the Order. The public may recall that the Service had, in 2022, applied for a Court Order to detain him in respect of a criminal investigation.
“Though he obtained a restraining Order from an FCT High Court, the Service, however, arrested him in June, 2023, on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.
“The Service assures the public of professionalism, justice and fairness in handling this matter and indeed the discharge of its duties within the confines of the law.”
The DSS on June 10, 2023 announced that Emefiele was in custody.
Afunanya had said he was brought in for investigative reasons.
Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the day before, Friday.
He was reported to have been arrested in Lagos and flown to Abuja by the Service.
Unconfirmed reports had it he was trying to leave the country.
Emefiele had been accused by the DSS of offences bordering on terrorism.
In February, it said preliminary investigation revealed various acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities perpetrated by Emefiele and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension.
The DSS had attempted to arrest Emefiele but a Federal High Court in Maitama, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja issued an order restraining the Service from arresting him.
This ruling, delivered by Justice M.A. Hassan also applied to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who were listed as defendants.
Earlier, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja declined an application filed by the DSS to arrest and detain Emefiele over the allegations against him.
In declining the motion ex parte filed by the secret police, Justice J. T. Tsoho, the Chief Judge, said the DSS did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.
When Emefiele returned to Nigeria after some time away, military personnel and intelligence officers were deployed to ensure that he was not arrested by the DSS.
He had gone to his office after his return with massive security, specifically military protection.
Culled from https://thenationonlineng.net/
