Reports of CBN headquarters invasion, arrest of Emefiele fake, misleading – DSS

*Emefiele not in the country – Femi Falana

*CBN Gov has no immunity in law from arrest, questioning

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The Department of State Services (DSS) has, reportedly, debunked reports in some online newspapers (excluding The DEFENDER) that its operatives invaded the office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Media reports spread Monday about a purported invasion of the CBN by DSS operatives with the intention to arrest the governor of the apex bank.

The DEFENDER reports that the CBN governor has been widely reported to have soiled his hands, allegedly, in many of the sponsored plots recently to remove the Director General of the DSS, Alhaji Yusuf Magaji Bichi, and some of his essential officers for doing their job.

But DSS in a terse statement reportedly issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dr. Peter Afunanya, described the reports of his Service’s operatives invasion of the CBN as fake and misleading.

“The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23.

“This is fake news and quite misleading,” Afunanya reportedly said.

It remains shrouded in ambiguity where the media reports hyped over a CBN office invasion now debunked were coming from and what the intention and goal of creators of the fake news were.

Is it to preempt any state action against the now “very powerful and highly shielded” CBN governor or to blackmail the authorities so as to frustrate investigation of many damning allegations levelled against his person over his administration of the nation’s highest money handling institution? Only the time will tell, The DEFENDER reports.

In the meantime, it will be recalled that humanrights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Me. Femi Falana, said, while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics that Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who he said had not returned to the country following allegations of terrorism financing levelled against him by the Department of State Services (DSS), has no immunity under the law from being arrested and questioned.

“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.

“If you have the evidence that he has committed the offence alleged, you don’t need a court order to arrest him and that is the law. And by the way, no court in Nigeria or anyway has the power to confer immunity on any citizen… If you are not one of the 74 people who are entitled to immunity in Nigeria; that is the President, the Vice President, the governors, and deputy governors, no other person can enjoy immunity.

“So, you can’t say don’t arrest a citizen if there is reasonable suspicion that he has committed an offence. So, I expect the State Security Service to come out with the allegations, and if Mr Emefiele is not going to return to the country, file a charge in the Federal High Court so that he can get his lawyers, and prepare his defence.”

Falana said the DSS does not need a court order to arrest the CBN governor if the Service has concrete evidence against him. He urged the DSS to proceed to arrest Emefiele upon his arrival in Nigeria, noting that the apex bank governor is not one of those constitutionally entitled to immunity in Nigeria.

Falana described as embarrassing the allegations against Emefiele by the DSS, saying this can only happen in a Banana Republic where the governor of the apex bank would be accused of a grave offence 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,” the senior lawyer said.