DSS seeks court order to extend Emefiele’s detention

The Department of State Services (DSS) has concluded plans to approach the court on Tuesday to obtain an order to keep the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, in its custody for as long as his interrogation will last.

A source who wished to remain anonymous stated that the secret police would likely approach the court to obtain an order to detain the suspended CBN boss for an indefinite period to allow for unfettered interrogation.

The source said, “He (Emefiele) is going to be with us for some time. We may obtain a court order to further detain him. The previous charges against him are there and further investigations may add to that. You know that he is a big man, and we have to make sure that the loose ends are tightened before we take him to court.

“Recall that we were looking for him before his suspension. Now that we have him, we will hear from him; hear what he has to say on those issues we have highlighted before.”

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The source added that the DSS had assembled a team of crack interrogators to quiz Emefiele on wide-ranging issues, including alleged terrorism financing and mismanagement of the economy and the apex bank.

The source added, “We have a team of interrogators, who are going to quiz and obtain statements from him. We won’t bungle our case. But honestly, Nigerians need to know what happened and why we were looking for him the other time.’’

Emefiele’s arrest is a prelude to the imminent purge of the top echelon of the apex bank, adding that other top directors of the CBN would be interrogated in the coming weeks as part of a comprehensive probe of Emefiele’s administration as directed by the President.

The sources said the secret police would likely go after senior officials in the procurement department of the CBN as well as special advisers to the embattled governor.

A source said, “One of those under the radar of the DSS is a special adviser to the CBN governor.

“He retired from the CBN in 2021 as a director but was retained by Emefiele as a special adviser. He is believed to have an inside knowledge of all the actions taken by Emefiele.

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“Other subjects of interest are senior officials and directors in the procurement department. The fact is that many top directors will be invited or arrested for questioning in the weeks ahead.”

The DSS had on Saturday, June 10, 2023, confirmed that the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele is now in its custody, a few hours after it had initially denied arresting him following his removal from office.

The DSS had been on the trail of the suspended CBN Governor for some time with reported attempts to get a court order to arrest him in the past.

However, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.

Among allegations levied against the embattled CBN governor by the DSS are terrorism financing, mismanagement of Nigeria’s social investment programme, and the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme, among others.