Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), expressed his shock at the confirmation by the Department of State Services (DSS) that Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was in their custody. Agbakoba questioned the role of the DSS in Emefiele’s arrest, raising concerns about the jurisdiction and authority of the agency in this matter.
The DSS confirmed on Saturday that Emefiele was currently under their custody, following reports of his arrest shortly after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu on Friday. Emefiele’s suspension was said to be connected to the ongoing investigation of his office and planned reforms in the financial sector, as stated by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
In response to these developments, Agbakoba released a statement expressing his lack of surprise regarding Emefiele’s suspension as the CBN Governor. However, he found the confirmation by the DSS that Emefiele was in their custody to be shocking. Agbakoba raised questions about the DSS’s statutory role in internal security and wondered what role they would play in this particular situation. He emphasized the importance of the relevant agency responsible for Emefiele stepping forward, excluding the DSS unless there were security implications involved.
Agbakoba’s statement highlighted that Emefiele’s tenure as the CBN Governor went beyond monetary policy, suggesting that there might be other factors contributing to his suspension and subsequent arrest. The lack of transparency and clarity surrounding the circumstances raised concerns among Agbakoba and others, calling for a fair and impartial investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu appointed Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi as the acting Governor of the CBN following Emefiele’s suspension. The Nigerian government faced mounting pressure to provide further explanations for Emefiele’s arrest and address the concerns raised by Agbakoba and the public regarding the rule of law and the integrity of the financial sector.
As the situation continued to unfold, the focus shifted to the actions of the relevant agencies involved and the need for a transparent resolution. The coming days would determine the course of events and shed more light on the implications of Emefiele’s arrest for Nigeria’s financial landscape.
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