60 Lawyers file contempt charge against DSS over failure to release Emefiele 

About sixty Nigerian Constitutional and Human Rights lawyers on Monday, filed contempt charges at the Federal Capital Territory FCT High Court in Abuja, against the Director General of the Department of State Service, Mr Yusuf Bichi, over violation of multiple judgments and court orders.

 

The court’s judgments were directing the release of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele from custody of the agency.

 

The lawyers led by Mr. Maxwell Opara and Barrister Ahmed Tijani, prayed the court to commit DSS DG to prison until he purges himself of the contempt.

 

In their Motion filed before the Court for the issuing of form 48 and form 49 which are the forms to commence proceedings to commit a contemnor to prison, the lawyers said, by the judgments and orders of Justice M. A. Hassan, Justice Hamza Muazu and Justice Bello Kawu, the DG DSS ought to have released Mr. Godwin Emefiele from detention.

 

In the affidavit in support of the application, the lawyers deposed to the fact that Justice M. A. Hassan restrained the respondents in that suit, particularly, the (DSS) from arresting detaining or interrogating Mr. Emefiele for offences connected to Terrorism financing, money laundering, round tripping, financial crimes of national security dimension among others.

 

While addressing newsmen after filing their processes at the Registry of the Court, Mr. Maxwell Opara said, the group will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and ensure that Mr. Bichi is sent to prison so as to serve as a deterrent to other heads of security agencies and top government officials that violate of court orders.

 

Mr. Opara also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately relieve Mr. Yusuf Bichi of his appointment as DSS DG for having misled the President that Mr. Emefiele had committed heinous crimes against the State.

 

“is it not clear enough to Nigerians that the SSS is persecuting Mr. Emefiele if after holding him for 5 weeks they can only file a ridiculous charge of possessing a validly registered pump action gun?” Mr. Opara asked.

 

He added that “If possessing a validly registered pump action gun is a crime worthy of being held in perpetuity, what has the SSS done to the person threatening Nigerians from a particular section of the country with an assault rifle? This clearly shows the travail of Mr. Emefiele is more for political reasons than for any other.”

 

Recalled that, on Thursday 13th July, Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory FCT High Court ordered the Nigerian Secret Police, the Department of State Service to release the detained suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria CBN Mr. Godwin Emefiele within one week.

 

The court also ordered that DSS grant him administrative bail and charge him to court.

 

Justice Muazu gave the order while ruling in a fundamental human rights suit Emefiele filed to challenge his arrest and detention by the Department of State Services.

 

Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) had in a press statement on 13th July, confirms that Mr. Godwin Emefiele was charged to court in compliance with the Court Order.

 

Recall that on June 10, the DSS arrested the governor of the apex bank shortly after President Ahmed Tinubu suspended him from office and ordered a probe of the CBN.

 

Dominica Nwabufo