Moment DSS operatives beat up prisons official in scuffle for Emefiele’s custody

Yesterday, suspended Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, was arraigned by a Federal High Court in Lagos for illegal possession of firearms. This occurred 46 days after his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) and two weeks after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his release or arraignment for any alleged offense. Justice Nicholas Oweibo granted Emefiele bail in the sum of N20 million. However, the arraignment was marred by a scuffle between DSS operatives and officials of the Nigerian Prisons Service over who should take custody of Emefiele. This dispute escalated into a physical altercation, during which the Armed Squad Commander of the NPS, Williams Udom, was manhandled and had his service uniform torn.

A senior female DSS official arrived at the scene hours after the standoff and had a brief conversation with NCoS officials and her operatives to alleviate the tension. This allowed the DSS to immediately re-arrest Emefiele once he exited the courtroom. The Federal Government filed a two-count charge against Mr. Emefiele in court, alleging that on June 15, 2023, at No.3b Ibru Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, he was found in possession of an unlicensed single-barrel shotgun (Jojeff Magnum 8371). Additionally, the suspended CBN governor was accused of possessing 123 rounds of live ammunition (cartridges) without a license, which violates Section 8 of the Firearms Act 2004 and is punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.

Following the arraignment, Chief Joseph Daudu, SAN, counsel for Emefiele and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, brought the court's attention to his previously filed bail application. He requested the court to grant his client bail based on self-recognition or other reasonable conditions. Daudu informed the court that Emefiele had been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for over 46 days and urged the court to put an end to his client's oppression. He stated, "There should be an end to oppression." However, a Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nkiru Jones-Nebo, opposed Daudu's bail application. She argued that Emefiele should not be released due to the risk of him fleeing. Jones-Nebo claimed that she had not received the bail application and raised concerns that the defendant could evade trial or leverage his position as the CBN boss to intimidate colleagues and obstruct the trial. She requested additional time to respond to the application.

After considering the arguments presented by both parties, Justice Oweibo dismissed Jones-Nebo's assertion that the government provided no evidence to support its claim. The judge stated that the prosecution failed to justify why the defendant should not be granted bail. As a result, the defendant has been granted bail in the amount of N20 million, with the condition that one surety, who owns property within the court's jurisdiction and holds a position of at least level 16 in the Nigerian civil service, must be provided. Additionally, the defendant must surrender their international passport to the court.

Shortly after the proceedings concluded, Daudu raised concerns that the DSS was intent on apprehending his client, despite being granted bail by the court. During his address to the court, Daudu expressed his desire to fulfill the bail conditions so that his client could be released. However, the judge, unsure of the appropriate course of action in this situation, requested that Daudu allow him to handle other matters before returning to discuss the matter further. DSS Sets Trap for Emefiele Outside the court premises, a clash between the DSS and Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) officials nearly escalated into a full-blown confrontation between the two government agencies. In their preparations to re-arrest Emefiele, the DSS had stationed a pickup truck near the entrance of the courtroom where the trial was taking place.