Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Tuesday, fought over the custody of suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The secret police and prison officials clashed over the agency to take custody of the suspended and embattled apex bank chief after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m.
The judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.
Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to take him back to their detention centre.
This prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police.
After the court ruling, the suspended CBN governor holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers.
However, when the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a fight.
Prison Officials Vacate Court Premises
Amid the clash, Emefiele’s lawyers “reluctantly allowed the DSS disobey court order and take custody of their client” to avoid a gun battle.
The prison officials then exited the court in their vehicle and the DSS took charge.
President Bola Tinubu had suspended Emefiele as the apex bank chief on June 9, 2023. A day after, the DSS confirmed that the embattled and suspended CBN chief was in its custody.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has granted bail to the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele in his alleged gun possession trial.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo released Mr. Emefiele on a N20million bail bond with one surety in the like sum.
The judge made the order following the banker’s arraignment and “not guilty” plea to a two-count charge filed against him by the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He rejected the argument by a Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nkiru Jones-Nebo that Emefiele should not be released because he was a flight risk.
The judge ruled that the government failed to provide any fact to support its claim.
Emefiele, 61, had filed the application through his team of counsel led by Chief Joseph Daudu, SAN, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The application opposed the allegation that Emefiele was found in possessing of a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence on June 15 at No. 3b Ibru Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The Federal Government maintained that the offence was contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, 2004, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.
In the second count, the CBN Governor was accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a licence, which was contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(ii) of the same Act.
But Emefiele denied the charge.
“My Lord, I am not guilty,” he said.
Dauda’s prayer for Emefiele’s bail application to be heard was opposed by Jones-Nebo, who claimed among others that she had “not been given the bail application.”
“As I stand here, I have not set eyes on it,” she said, praying for time to respond to the application.
But the judge, in a bench ruling, rejected Jones-Nebo’s claim.
The judge upheld Dauda’s contention that the Federal Government had been served and the proof of service to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF)’s office was in the court’s file, clearing the way for the bail application to be heard.
Dauda had also urged the court to end the oppression of his client by the Department of State Security (DSS) which arrested him and hear the bail application.
“There should be an end to oppression,” he said, noting that Emefiele had been in DSS custody for 46 days.
Arguing the bail request, Dauda prayed the court to release Emefiele on self-recognizance or on other reasonable terms.
But Nebo opposed the bail saying, among others, that the defendant could evade trial or use his power as CBN boss to intimidate his colleagues and prevent the trial from going on.
Justice Oweibo discountenanced the government’s argument. The judge agreed with Dauda that, among others, the Prosecution placed nothing before the court in proof of its claims.
Recall that on June 9, President Bola Tinubu suspended Emefiele and asked him to transfer his responsibilities to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, deputy governor, operations directorate.
The day after, the DSS announced that Emefiele was in its custody for “some investigative reasons”.
