The Department of State Security, DSS, has officially pulled out of the residence of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele. Following his arrest in Lagos from where he was flown back to Abuja to face a crack team of interrogators, operatives of the security agency had sealed his home located on Iru Close, off Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos. The DSS blocked the entrance of the palatial house with two Hilux vans and about six operatives were deployed to the house for further investigation.
The operatives have now departed from the house, signaling the end of their siege. Perhaps with the development, the court may finally grant Emefiele’s request for bail after spending over six weeks in DSS custody. This is just as Nigerians await the outcome of their investigation and the next step President Bola Tinubu intends to take on the matter.
Despite a subsisting court order issued in December 2022 by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) barring Emefiele’s arrest, the DSS, whose statutory role is internal security, on June 10 took the embattled CBN governor into their custody. Also restrained by the court order are the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. He was arrested over allegations of funding terrorism and economic sabotage among other alleged charges.
It, however, appears that the DSS is struggling to build a strong case against the banker as it has only managed to sensationally charge him for allegedly owning a shotgun riffle, which the agency claims is unlicensed. A claim relatives of Mr. Emefiele say is untrue.
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