Godwin Emefiele: Lawyers berate DSS over assault on judiciary, prison officials, media

Human Rights Lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LIDD) have berated the Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, over the alleged assault on judiciary, lawyers, prison officials, and media by DSS operatives in a bid to stop prison officials from carrying out their job of taking the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, into custody as ordered by Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday.

The lawyers also condemned the rearrest of Emefiele by the operatives of the secret police after engaging in a free for all fight with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The secret police and prison officials clashed over the move by the latter to take custody of the suspended and embattled apex bank chief after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of N20 million.

The Judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

But, shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick-up van earlier used in bringing Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to whisk him to their detention centre.

When the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a free for all fight.

Eventually, the operatives of the secret police took custody of Emefiele after a physical fight with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Reacting to what it called rogue and tasteless behaviour of the DSS operatives, the lawyers in a statement by thier leader, Barr. Okere Kingdom, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prove that he has regard for the rule of law by suspending and ordering the arrest of the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi.

The lawyers insisted that the DSS doesn’t have the constitutional backing to rearrest Emefiele until he perfects his bail conditions.

The statement reads, “This constant assault on the judiciary by the DSS is totally unacceptable. We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prove that he has regard for the rule of law by suspending and ordering the arrest of the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi, for violation of multiple judgments and orders of court on the release of suspended chairman of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, from the custody of the agency.

“What played out at the court today is unacceptable, Bichi needs to be arrested and sent to prison. The secret police has made a habit of continuously disrespecting the rule of law. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should save democracy and image of the judiciary by immediately ordering the arrest of DSS DG.