…By Larry John for TDPel Media.
Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Olisa Agbakoba, expressed his astonishment at the arrest of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Initially denied by the Department of State Services (DSS), it was later confirmed that Emefiele was indeed in their custody.
Emefiele’s Suspension and Agbakoba’s Perspective:
Agbakoba acknowledged that the suspension of Emefiele did not come as a surprise to him, as he believed Emefiele’s tenure extended beyond monetary policy.
However, he raised concerns about the involvement of the DSS in Emefiele’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
The Role of the DSS and Its Jurisdiction:
Agbakoba emphasized that the primary responsibility of the DSS is internal security and questioned their involvement in arresting Emefiele.
He stated that unless there are security implications, it is not within the jurisdiction of the DSS to handle this matter.
Agbakoba’s Statement:
In his statement, Agbakoba remarked, “The suspension of the Governor of the CBN from office is not a surprise as his tenure was way beyond monetary policy.
But confirmation by DSS that Governor Emefiele is in its custody comes as a shock.
The statutory role of DSS is internal security and I shudder to think what role DSS will play in this matter? The rule of law says it all.
Can the relevant agency responsible for Governor Emefiele step forward, but this excludes the DSS unless this has security implications.”
Conclusion:
The arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the CBN, has raised questions and caused shockwaves, with Olisa Agbakoba, a former NBA president, expressing his concerns.
Agbakoba highlighted the unexpected involvement of the DSS and questioned its jurisdiction in handling the arrest and prosecution of Emefiele, emphasizing the need for the relevant agency responsible for the governor to come forward, unless there are security implications.