Godwin Emefiele in court
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Tuesday, re-arrested suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, after fighting off officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
He was rearrested on the premises of a Federal High Court in Lagos sitting in Ikoyi despite Justice Nicholas Oweibo ruling that he be taken into custody of the correctional centre pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.
Drama started shortly after the ruling when DSS operatives positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bringing Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to take him back to their cell.
To effect his arrest, the DSS operatives manhandled a prison official on the premises of the court.
This prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police.
Immediately after the court ruling, the suspended CBN governor stayed back inside the courtroom with his lawyers.
However, when the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions as directed by the Judge, the DSS operatives challenged them and this led to a fight.
Amid the clash, Emefiele’s lawyers gave up resistance and allowed the DSS to take custody of their client, as they said, to avoid a gun battle.
The prison officials then exited the court in their vehicle and the DSS took charge.
At exactly 03:03pm, DSS operatives led the suspended CBN governor out of the courtroom into their waiting vehicle.
The trial has been fixed for November 14, 2023.
