Legal practitioners under the platform of the Lawyers in Defence of Democracy have slammed the State Security Services for arresting and detaining the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele while leaving his principal and approving authority, former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Vanguard New, speaking on Arise Television breakfast show in Abuja, the Convener of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, Kingdom Okere accused the security officials of framing up cases against Godwin Emefiele.
He described the arrest of Godwin Emefiele as illegal and maintained that, it was in violation of a subsisting order of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
He consequently called for the sack of the Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi and stated that, there was no reason for them to retain Godwin Emfiele when President Tinubu sacked the Service Chiefs.
Speaking further, he said that, it’ s unfortunate that, the security officials are still holding Godwin Emefiele for more than one month instead of getting their evidences from December 2022 to June 2023.
” We just heard from the statement by the officials of DSS that, they have charged him to court but, charging him to court is different from arraigning him. ” .
” We have not seen a copy of the charge. Of course, the accused has been in illegal detention of DSS and his lawyers should be privy to whatever charges that may have preferred against him” .
” The point is that, Lawyers in the Defence of Democracy have been on this issue since 7th December 2022 when the DSS sought to obtain a black market exparte application from the Federal High Court. It is a black market because, the honourable judge of the Federal High Court said that, the officials of DSS could not use that honourable court to commence an irregular proceeding” .
He said that, the officials of DSS are not obeying the rule of law because, they don’ t have the right to arrest Godwin Emefiele when the courty barred them from doing that.
” The rule of law does not empower the officials of DSS to disregard an order of a court of competent jurisdiction but, the only thing they can do within their constitutional right is to go to a higher court to set it aside. As far as that order remains, whatever they are purporting to do to file any charges against Godwin Emefiele remains illegal abinitio” .
Okere said that, Godwin Emefiele was only following orders maintained that, the man who gave him the order, President Muhammadu Buhari ought should be arrested and stated that, Godwin Emefiele should not be in detention while Buhari is enjoying in his house.
” Whatever Godwin Emefiele did as CBN Governor had presidential approval. So, if they have anything against him, they should also know that, it is traceable to former President Muhammadu Buhari and they should also bring him to book so that, they can defend themselves” .
” Be that as it may, DSS upon searching Emefiele’ s house found only N300, 000. Does it mean that, Emefiele from his legitimate earnings cannot have N300, 000 in his house? They also found a license for pump action but, any other thing they come out with tomorrow that, they found in Emefiele’ s house is pure falsehood” .
Source; Vanguard
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