LAGOS, Nigeria – A group of constitutional lawyers, led by Tijani Ahmed, is calling on President Bola Tinubu to reign in the Department of State Services, DSS, following an alarming dispute with the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, over the custody of suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
In a shocking incident on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, DSS operatives clashed with NCoS officials over who should maintain custody of Emefiele.
This incident transpired after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos had granted bail to Emefiele for N20 million and directed that he be remanded in prison pending fulfilling his bail condition.
In a statement released in response to this incident, Ahmed and his legal colleagues voiced their disapproval, condemning the behavior of the DSS as “unprofessional and shameful.” They decried this disrespect towards the judiciary and raised concerns about how such actions could occur in a democratic nation.
“The Department of State Services, DSS’s actions show a blatant disregard for the rule of law. They contested the officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service, NCoS, over custody of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele despite explicit orders by Justice Oweibo,” the statement read.
The lawyers recounted the alarming series of events. “The DSS positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used to bring Emefiele to court, suggesting that they intended to take him to their detention center, which was contrary to the court ruling. This prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police. When the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody, the secret police challenged them, and a fight ensued.”
The lawyers further criticized the DSS for repeatedly disregarding court rulings related to Emefiele. “Not once, not twice has the DSS proven to be a rogue agency with no regard for the rule of law,” they lamented. “How can an agency of the government violate a bail order?”
With the repeated infractions by the DSS, Ahmed and his colleagues are making a stern call to action. “We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately intervene to preserve democracy and uphold the image of the judiciary. This includes ordering the arrest of the DSS Director-General for the rogue behaviour of his operatives. The DSS cannot be allowed to rearrest Emefiele until he perfects his bail and is released. This disregard for the judiciary cannot continue.”
