May 6, (THEWILL)- Human Rights Group, African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR), has condemned the Federal Government of Nigeria over the trial of Godwin Emefiele, a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
ACJHR is the sponsor of the Annual Conference of West African Human Rights Watch Groups. The event sponsored by ACJHR will be accessing the performance of West African governments on fairness and diligent prosecution and how these have helped the fight against corruption. The conference will also evaluate how the use of vindictive tools, like prolonged detention, multiple charges in different jurisdictions, media trials and intimidation, had weakened the effective corruption fight.
The Conference Organising Chairman, Comrade John Akufo, told newsmen in Accra, that Emefiele’s ordeals had caught the attention of the human rights group.
Briefing newsmen at La Palm Beach Hotel, Accra, Akufo, said the endless and prolonged detention of Emefiele, abuse of his human rights, bogus charges of terrorism, economic sabotage and corruption, which the Nigerian government had not proven, had caught the attention of ACJHR.
President Bola Tinubu had on June 9, 2023, approved the suspension of Emefiele as Governor of the Apex Bank and was subsequently arrested on June 10, 2023, by operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS).
Since his arrest last year, several charges including illegal possession of firearms, alleged corruption, and abuse of office among others, have been brought against the former CBN boss. He is also due for arraignment on May 15, before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, on a three-count amended charge over the printing of the new N1000, N500 and N200 Naira notes.
Akufo said Emefiele’s trial on multiple charges across jurisdictions smacked of vindictiveness; adding that the long detention of the former CBN Governor, abuse of court orders, media trial, public humiliation and other high-handed actions, had made the human rights apex watch bodies to consider discussing his matter at the annual conference.
“If after reviewing the facts and evidence, we find out there is more to the case, the apex West African human rights gathering will declare the trial as political and put pressure and strong advocacy for Nigerians to pressure their government, especially the court, to discharge him and stop the prosecution”, Akufo said.
ACJHR stated that Emefiele’s suspension at the beginning of the current administration had a political undertone, as it portended vindictive action against the former CBN Governor, whose policies in the build-up to the 2023 general election were viewed as targeting some politicians.
“For instance, the present president, then-candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had at the height of electioneering, said the naira swap policy was targeted at him and insisted that he would certainly win the election, despite sabotage from official quarters.
“Thus, without pre-empting what our review will show, it is suspicious that the continued harassment, endless multiple charges, detention, media trial of Emefiele and the actions of state and non-state actors precipitating the whole saga, are pointing towards political persecution, as the former CBN governor had also, reportedly, indicated interest in the presidency.
“But, as we said earlier, if our investigations revealed so, we will take action to prevail on the government to stop that and stick to the facts and ensure quick dispensation of justice. It’s unfortunate that such is becoming the hallmark of governments, not only in Nigeria but Africa generally”, Akufo added.
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