Civil Society Central Coordinating Council (CSCCC), and socio-cultural groups, namely Arewa Consultative Youth Movement and Ohanaeze Youth Movement, have urged President Bola Ahmed Bola to direct the Department of State Services (DSS) to obey the subsisting Court Order on the release of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, from detention, as a birthday gift to him.
The appeal by the groups is coming as they felicitated Emefiele on his 62nd birthday anniversary.
The groups in a joint statement signed by their leaders, Tijani Yusuf, Obe Agu, Nwabueze Obi and Kabiru Yusuf, said Nigerians were eagerly waiting to see if President Tinubu administration will obey the rule of law or not.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Lagos had on Tuesday granted leave to the suspended CBN Governor to serve the Director General of DSS, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the order of the court admitting him (Emefiele) to bail and directing his remand in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) by substituted means.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted the order, following an ex-parte application moved by Emefiele’s counsel, Mrs. Ogonnaya Sonuga.
Also, the court had on July 25, 2023 granted Emefiele N20million bail and ordered that he should be remanded in the NCoS custody after he was arraigned on charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Emefiele is standing trial on a two-count charge bordering on possession of a single barrel shotgun and possession of 123 rounds of live ammunition without licence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. But, the secret police disobeyed the court order and rearrested Emefiele after the court proceedings same day.
In an ex-parte application, dated July 28, 2023 which was granted by the Court, Emefiele asked the court for “an order of this honourable court granting leave to the defendant/applicant to serve the complainant through and on the office and person of the Director General, Department of State Services, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, with the ruling/order of court obtained on July 25, 2023.
“Admitting the defendant/applicant to bail and directing his remand in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in three national daily newspapers circulating within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and which said service will be deemed as good and proper service on the prosecutor/complainant.”
The groups, therefore, said: “It is on this note that we once again call on President Tinubu and the DSS to release Emefiele as ordered by the Court which will be a birthday gift to him.
“We once again wish the CBN Governor a happy birthday and pray God to be with him in all circumstances.”
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