Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said that the Department of State Services (DSS) does not need a court order to arrest the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Falana said a warrant is not needed if the Service has concrete evidence against him.
He urged the DSS to arrest Emefiele upon his arrival in Nigeria, noting that the apex bank governor does not have constitutional immunity in Nigeria.
Falana described the DSS allegations against Emefiele as humiliating, saying it could only happen in a Banana Republic where the governor of the central bank is accused of terrorism financing.
“Has the government considered the enormous implication of the effect of a wanted governor of the central bank on the economy?
“I am completely flabbergasted that the President of the country has not intervened; either to call the state security to order or to call Mr Emefiele to return to the country or be fired,” Falana.
He recalled Emefiele’s predecessor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, being charged with terrorism financing in 2014 but winning the case.
“These guys play on our collective intelligence because they know we are very forgetful.
“In 2014, his (Emefiele’s) immediate predecessor, former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was equally accused of terrorism financing.
“In the same way, he (Sanusi) also travelled out of the country to attend a meeting with the governors of the central banks of West Africa in Niamey, Niger Republic.
“As soon as he landed in Lagos, he was arrested, his passport was seized,” Falana said.
Sanusi won the case and awarded him ₦50 million in compensation.
Falana emphasized that the charge of terrorism financing leveled against Emefiele should not be dismissed.
Court rejected DSS’ application
According to BizWatch Nigeria, the DSS had approached an Abuja court to arrest Emefiele for alleged terrorism financing and economic crimes against national security, but the move was quashed by Justice Maryam Hassan of the FCT High Court Abuja.
Following that, the judge barred the DSS from arresting, inviting, or detaining Emefiele, declaring the DSS’s terrorism allegations against the CBN governor to be vindictive, callous, oppressive, void, and without effect.
Emefiele not in the country – Falana
Falana stated that Emefiele has not returned to the country following DSS allegations of terrorism financing.
“I can say without any fear of contradiction that Mr Godwin Emefiele is not in Nigeria; he hasn’t returned to the country because he has been declared wanted by the state security services,” he said.
