The African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) has condemned the re-arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Emefiele was on Tuesday rearrested by armed operatives of the DSS at the premises of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, shortly after he was granted a N20million bail by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who also ordered that he be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions.
The ACJHR, through a statement issued on Wednesday by its strategic communication consultant, Abubakar Isa, noted that a court of competent jurisdiction had earlier voided the terrorism allegations against Emefiele and barred the security agency from arresting him.
“Months ago Justice M A Hassan of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) restrained the Department of State Services (DSS) and four others from arresting or detaining Emefiele over alleged terrorism financing.
“Again, recently, a High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered DSS to immediately release Emefiele from detention or charge him to court”, the ACJHR stated while stressing the need for respect for the judiciary.