The Department of State Services (DSS) has told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that suspended Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) Godwin Emefiele would flee the country if granted bail.The Service which, like the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (OAGF), defended the continued detention of Emefiele, described him as a “flight risk.”.
They stated these in separate counter-affidavits filed in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by the suspended CBN Chief. While the OAGF argued that Emefiele’s life was not in danger to warrant him being granted bail, the DSS warned that he could interfere with its investigations if released.
After the resumed hearing of the suit in which Emefiele is challenging his detention yesterday, the DSS denied not allowing his family members and lawyers to visit him.
In its own affidavit, the OAGF dismissed the speculation that Emefiele was being held for terrorist-related crimes. It also said he was not being victimised for his involvement in politics and the botched naira redesign policy. The OAGF said: “Issues of terrorism financing and fraudulent activities are not part of the grounds for the arrest and detention of the applicant.
“The respondents have not violated the applicant’s right to live in any way, his life is not in danger. The respondents did not subject the applicant to any judicial adjudication to warrant the allegation of denial of a fair hearing. “With the remand order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction, the said violation of the applicant’s right to freedom of movement does not arise.
The respondents did not subject the applicant to any torture, the details of which have not been provided.”
The DSS, on its part, said that Emefiele was being held pursuant to an order of a competent court.It added that the suspended CBN boss was arrested “upon reasonable suspicion of committing acts which constitute a criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public fund, economic sabotage, economic crimes of national security dimension and undermining the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The counter-affidavit by the service reads in part: “Upon the arrest of the applicant, a detention order was duly and promptly procured from a court of competent jurisdiction to enable the 2nd and 3rd respondents to keep the applicant in lawful custody for a period of 14 days when it became apparent that investigation into the allegations levelled against him would take a little while to conclude.
At the resumed hearing in Emefiele’s suit yesterday, the OAGF and the DSS faulted the claim by the suspended Governor of the CBN that he was unlawfully detained.Emefiele had sued to challenge his continued detention by the DSS.A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tijani Gazal, who represented the OAGF, urged the court to dismiss the suit, arguing that Emefiele’s allegation of unlawful detention was unfounded.
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