A socio-political organization, Justice for All Group, has demanded for the release of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, from detention, saying his continued detention was against the rule of law and breach of his human rights.
Mr. Emefiele was suspended from office on June 9, 2023 by President Bola Tinubu. He was taken into custody the next day by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly holding a single-barrel gun and cartridges without licence.
“Emefiele’s arrest and detention is a clear affront to the rule of law and in breach of his fundamental human rights considering that there is a subsisting order of the court barring the Service from arresting or detaining Emefiele,” the group’s director of press, Francis Nyame, said in a statement on Monday
The group said the DSS should not be seen to be above the law, adding that so far, the secret service has disobeyed the law of the country by continuing to detain Mr. Emefiele despite court orders to the contrary.
Eminent lawyers and civil society organizations opine that Emefiele’s arrest and detention was illegal and a nullity.
“So, we are demanding that he should be allowed to go home without further delay and drama,” Nyame said.
The DSS had reportedly said that it would arraign the former CBN governor in court this Tuesday.
Nyame said from the conduct of the DSS, it was obvious that it has no justifiable reason to arrest Emefiele in the first place. He said the charge for illegal possession of firearms could be described as spurious and pathetic.
“It is an afterthought. Nobody can buy that for a penny. It’s disrespect to the intelligence community,” he added.
Justice for all Group noted that the DSS arrested Emefiele only to search for a reason to “justify the illegal arrest and detention of the former governor of the CBN,” stating that the DSS has no credible evidence of crime against Emefiele.
“Even if he was arrested for a crime, the law requires that he should be arraigned before a competent court of jurisdiction within hours but the DSS has not done so.
“In view of Emefiele’s persecution, these questions beg for answers: Has it become a crime to serve your fatherland? Why should a citizen be detained in perpetuity?,” he further stated.
The group said the DSS was wasting tax payers’ money to allegedly witch-hunt Emefiele, saying that it was time for President Bola Tinubu to prove to the world that he is a true democrat.
“He should grab the opportunity and make a profound statement. He should order the DSS to release Emefiele,” the group stated.
