A mild drama is playing out at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos between operatives of Department of State Services, DSS, and official of Nigeria Correctional Service, NCS, over custody of the suspended Central Bank Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele was arraigned today by the DSS for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition but was granted bail in the sum of N20million with one surety.
While Emefiele’s lawyers are still in court trying to perfect his bail conditions, a mild drama is playing out within the court premises between DSS and NCS over who will take custody of the defendant.
Two Hilux vehicles belonging to the two government agencies are currently positioned near the entrance of the court.
DSS operatives roughed up a Prisons Commander, tore his buttons and hauled him out of the court premises.
The Commander was trying to comply with the order of Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who granted Emefiele bail and remanded him in the custody of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the satisfaction of his bail.
But the DSS operatives insisted that they had orders to take Emefiele notwithstanding the court order.
Earlier, armed Prisons officials reinforced to carry out the court order.
But DSS operatives, who are also here in their numbers, blocked the court gates with their vehicles, preventing the Prisons officials from driving out.
Emefiele pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge of possession of a firearm without a license.
But he has not been able to leave the courtroom because of the imbroglio between the sister agencies.
Also, Lawyers to suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, have raised the alarm that the Department of State Service (DSS) is planning to re-arrest their client despite the bail granted him by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The lead counsel for the embattled and suspended CBN chief, Joseph Daudu, made this known after the court’s ruling on Tuesday.
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 Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers of Emefiele to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police.
As of the the time of filing this report, the suspended CBN governor is still holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers.
Outside the court, a group of concerned lawyers also addressed journalists on the issue, expressing their concerns over the plan by the secret police.
Earlier, Godwin Emefiele was seen arriving at the court with the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), arrived at the federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos, around 9:18am on Tuesday, clutching the Holy Bible in his hand with a lady holding on to his left arm as he climbed the steps.
The King James Version (KJV) of the holy book was tucked inside a red paperback.
Emefiele was arraigned before Nicholas Oweibo, the presiding judge, over alleged “illegal possession of firearms”.
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”.
It was also reported, though unconfirmed that, DSS Charges against him are as follows…
●Illegal Possession Of Firearms And Ammunitions
●Criminal Breach Of Trust.
●Incitement To Violence.
●Crimi*nal Misappropriation Of Public Funds.
●Economic Sabotage.
●Economic Crimes Of National Security Dimension
●Undermining The Security
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