CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele must be arrested by the Department of State Services, DSS, once he returns to the country, Femi Falana, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has said.
The human rights lawyer spoke amidst report that Emefiele has not resumed work after he left the country late last year.
Recall that a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja had refused an application by the DSS to arrest the apex bank boss over allegations of terrorism financing and economic sabotage.
Justice Maryam Hassan, while ruling on the matter barred the DSS from arresting, inviting, or detaining Emefiele declaring the terrorism allegations against the CBN governor by the DSS as vindictive, callous, oppressive, void and of no effect.
Since the botched plan by the secrete police to arrest him, Emefiele had not been seen, a situation that has prompted suggestions that he deliberately stayed back abroad over fear that the DSS could make a fresh attempt to take him into their custody for interrogating, once he returned back to the country.
Speaking on Channel Television on Sunday, Falana said Emefiele has refused to come back to the country because he is under the watch list of the DSS. The activist said the DSS does not need a court order to arrest Emefiele so far it has sufficient evidence that he has broken the law, noting that the CBN Governor does not enjoy constitution immunity.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene on the matter or fire Emefiele, adding that his absence has grave implications for the nation’s economy.
Falana noted whether “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.”
He narrated how Emefiele predecessor was also kicked out of office on the same terrorism financing allegation.
He said, “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.”
Sanusi was sacked by former President Goodluck Jonathan in a 2014 but would later win the case of terrorism against him.
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