A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olisa Agbakoba, on Saturday expressed shock about the detention of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, by the State Security Service (SSS).
He said in a short statement that Mr Emefiele’s suspension was understandable, but added that the confirmation of SSS that the suspended CBN Governor was in its custody “comes as a shock”.Mr Agbakoba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, wondered which roles SSS, a body primarily concerned with internal security of the country, would play in the case while agencies whose focus was relevant to the activities of the CBN were excluded.“
The suspension of the Governor of the CBN from office is not a surprise as his tenure was way beyond monetary policy. But confirmation by DSS that Governor Emefiele is in its custody comes as a shock.“The statutory role of DSS is internal security, and I shudder to think what role DSS will play in this matter. The rule of law says it all – can the relevant agency responsible for Governor Emefiele step forward, but this excludes the DSS, unless this has security implications,” the statement read.
Mr Emefiele was, on Saturday, taken into custody by Nigeria’s secret police, the SSS, hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office.“The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is now in its custody for some investigative reasons,” Peter Afunanya, the spokesperson for the agency, said in a press statement he shared.
Mr Afunanya did not provide details of when and how Mr Emefiele was arrested and where he is being kept. However, our correspondent learnt the banker was picked up from his home in Lagos and then flown to Abuja guarded by a detachment of operatives. He was then driven to the SSS’ headquarters in the Asokoro District of the nation’s capital where sources said he was being quizzed.
There were speculations Friday night that the SSS arrested Mr Emefiele shortly after he was suspended. But the law enforcement agency tweeted Saturday morning, saying the top banker was not in its custody.It is unclear why the SSS is holding the embattled official. But the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said Friday that his office, the CBN, was under investigation.
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