United Lawyers , N/Delta group bemoan Emefiele’s arrest  by DSS

… urge DSS to respect rule of law

The groups  have expressed outrage over the midnight invasion of the Lagos residence of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele, and his forceful arrest by men of the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the development as undemocratic.

 The groups , the United Lawyers for Rule of Law Defence and the Niger Delta Rights Advocates  called for respect of the rule of law in the handling of the  suspended  Emefiele.

In a press statement issued on Saturday by their leader, Hon. Obe Albert  on behalf of other members of  United Lawyers for Rule of Law Defence, argued that arresting Emefiele despite a subsisting court order barring his arrest was against the norms of the rule of law.

The lawyers  subsequently called for his release out of respect for the court and the rule of law.

The statement reads: “A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in December 2022, barred the Department of State Services and the Inspector General of Police from arresting and detaining the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over allegations of terrorism and sundry offences against him.

“Also restrained by the court order are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, who were listed as the first, second and fifth defendants.

“Justice MA Hassan made the order while delivering judgment in a suit marked GAR/CV/41/2022, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership.

“In the suit filed on December 19, 2022, the applicant, among other reliefs, prayed the court for a declaration that the continuous harassments, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of the right of office, surreptitious moves to arrest, and humiliation of Emefiele, by the respondents are vindictive, unwarranted and abrasive.

“We urge President Bola Tinubu to immediately call the DSS to order based on this subsisting court judgement.

“We believe strongly that Dr Emefiele’s arrest has put a question mark on the rule of law mantra of the President.

“It is too early in the day for this administration to begin to disobey court orders. We, therefore, call for Emefiele’s immediate release.”

In similar vein, the  group  Niger Delta Rights Advocates called for respect of the rule of law in the handling of Emefiele.

The group, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Saturday, signed by its national coordinator, Bright Ngolo and made available to newsmen said the manner Emefiele was picked up by men of the DSS suggested abduction.

Ngolo noted that there was an extant court order restraining the DSS, the EFCC and others from arresting Emefiele.

He further said respect for him will prove that democracy has taken root in the country, saying anything contrary was to undermine it.

The statement reads, “The reports we have is that operatives of the DSS stormed the Lagos residence of Dr. Godwin Emefiele at the dead of the night (2 am), blindfolded him, and forcefully took him away in a manner suggestive of abduction.

“As Rights Advocates, we should not live in a nation where all manner of Gestapo-style arrests will be made in the name of getting people to question them or account for perceived misdeeds.

“It is clear that Mr. Emefiele could be invited for questioning at any time since no Nigerian is above the law.

 “However, we are also concerned with the fact that there is a judgement by a competent court in suit no GAR/CV/41/2022 instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership wherein Justice M.A. Hassan barred the DSS, Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, who are listed as 1st, 2bd and 5th defendants from arresting Godwin Emefiele.

“Our call for the authorities to respect the rule of law by challenging and setting aside Justice Hassan’s judgement has nothing to do with the propriety or otherwise of his removal from office as CBN Governor.”

Continuing, “The NDRA wants the due process of the law to be followed in pursuing the Emefiele case rather than painting the picture of repression of the rule of law. ”

The group alleged that some state governments, particularly Rivers state has had a judgement from the Court that barred the EFCC from arresting officials of the state government.

“And up till date, the EFCC has failed to vacate that judgement and equally failed to investigate the monumental regime of entrenched fraud in the running of the state in the past 8yrs.

“We call on all agencies of government, therefore, to respect the rule of law as a confirmation that democracy has taken root in our country.

“And no institution or agency of government can just wake up and overreach its bounds,” the NDRA national coordinator stated.