Arrest DSS DG Now To Save Judiciary’s Image – Lawyers Tell Tinubu Following Emefiele’s Re-arrest

Some constitutional lawyers have asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately order the arrest of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) following the manner by which his operatives re-arrested the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Tuesday.

In a statement, the lawyers led by Barr. Tijani Ahmed condemned the scuttle that happened today between DSS operatives and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) officials over custody of Emefiele.

Gists9ja reported earlier that Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m.

The judge had said the bank chief should be remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of his bail condition.

However, there was chaos at the premises of the court after operates of the DSS insisted on taking Emefiele away against the directive of the judge.

Reacting to the development, the lawyers said the action of DSS was unprofessional and shameful, lamenting how much could happen in a democracy.

The lawyers asked President Tinubu to call the DSS to order while he should also save Democracy and Juciary image in Nigeria by ordering the arrest of the DSS DG.

The statement reads: “It’s a big shame and insult that the judiciary arm of government was disrespected by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) who fought officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) over who would take custody of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria, Governor Godwin.

“Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of N20 million. The Judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions. Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used to bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to abduct him to their detention centre.

According to reports, 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 fulfilment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them, and it led to a fight.

“Over the months, the DSS has been on the rampage; first, they disregarded court rulings barring them from arresting Emefiele. Again they disregarded the court ruling ordering them to release him. Now they are disregarding the court ruling ordering his release. At this point, the secret police had proven to be a rogue agency with no regard for the rule of law.

How can an agency of the government violate a bail order? Not once, not twice!!! We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save democracy and the image of the judiciary by immediately ordering the arrest of the DSS DG for the rogue behaviour of his operatives. This cannot be allowed to continue. Also, the DSS can’t rearrest Emefiele until he perfects his bail and is released.”