A United States, US-based group the Conference of Nigerian Intellectuals, CNI, says the manner the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele is being handled suggests that ‘someone wants him dead’.
The President of CNI, Dr. Philips Idris, made this known in a statement on Monday, accusing the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of treating the former CBN governor as a common criminal.
Emefiele is being prosecuted in court by the anti-graft commission for an alleged N1.2 billion procurement fraud.
He was recently granted N300 million bail by Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja but has failed to meet the bail conditions.
CNI however decried the treatment of Emefiele, stressing that his rights have been violated.
Idris, the group president said in the statement: “We have watched with concern and indeed, consternation, the relentless persecution of Mr Godwin Emefiele. Emefiele is currently being sequestered and shackled like a common criminal in Nigeria.
“Several court orders had been secured for his release but they were serially and flagrantly disobeyed by the EFCC and the DSS. Judging by the ferocity with which Emefiele is being pursued, it seems someone wants him dead.
“His traducers are willing to break any law of the land and are dehumanized to punish him for carrying out his statutory duties during his time as governor of CBN.
“He has been denied his freedom and basic rights against both the domestic and international human rights laws. Article 9 of the United Nations Human Rights states that ‘No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
“As concerned citizens in the diaspora, we have decided to draw the attention of the international community to the new reign of terror back home. Our dear country seems to be heading back to dictatorship.
“We are by this statement urging the Nigerian government to do the right thing which is to free Emefiele. We are also warning the EFCC not to erode the confidence of the international community in doing business with us as a nation by violating the fundamental rights of perceived opponents of the Asiwaju Administration.
“Should this plea fall on deaf ears, we will be staging a peaceful protest in the USA and another by our sister organisation in London on Monday (next week)” the group stated.
Emefiele was suspended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 9, he later replaced him with Yemi Cardoso.
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