- Human rights attorney and SAN member Femi Falana has requested that the Federal Government that the Department of State Services (DSS) complies with court judgments.
Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is currently facing allegations of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and his submission derives from a dispute between the DSS and the Nigerian Correctional Service on Tuesday over his custody.
After Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted Emefiele bail for a sum of N20m, as we reported, tensions flared between the two services.
In response to this occurrence, the SAN Falana said in a statement, “The Federal Government should also ensure that the orders of the Federal High Court are obeyed forthwith.”
“Despite the avowed commitment of the Bola Tinubu administration to operate under the rule of law, a team of officials from the State Security Service flagrantly disobeyed the orders of the Federal High Court, which admitted Mr. Godwin Emefiele to bail in respect to the offense of illegal possession of firearms.
“Gun-toting officers of the SSS attacked officials of the Correctional Centre for daring to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court.”
He stressed the importance of following the law.
Falana added that the Correctional Centre officials who were attacked by security guards should be identified and punished.
Bringing up Emefiele’s history of disobedience to court orders, he urged all public servants to draw lessons from his situation.
Remember that under former president Muhammadu Buhari, Emefiele defied the Supreme Court’s monetary policy judgement.
Meanwhile, Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister of education, criticized the DSS and Nigerian Correctional Service for causing a stir with their handling of Emefiele’s detention.
Ezekwesili emphasized that the DSS should issue an apology and act in accordance with the law.
“Kai! Aw, man, that’s too bad, @OfficialDSSNG! Everything that a corrupt political elite touches, from citizens to the public coffers to government bureaucracies to the news media, is inevitably ruined.
Look at the sad state that our country’s State Security apparatus is in.
Collective citizen action is “the only effective Check on the destructive ways of politicians and the Public Agencies they have privatized unto themselves.” They need to be held accountable by all law-abiding citizens.
Mr. Director General of the DSS, you would do well to reconsider your actions in light of this public embarrassment and to start acting in accordance with the law from this point forward.
“Please,” she pleaded on Twitter.
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