EXCLUSIVE: DSS To Finally Charge Emefiele To Court

The Department of State Services (DSS) may charge the embattled governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, at the court any time from now, THE WHISTLER has reliably gathered.

This is coming a few hours after Justice H. Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama ordered the state service to charge Emefiele to court within seven days or release him from its detention facility.

At the court, the DSS lawyer, I. Awo, had contended that Emefiele “was arrested upon reasonable suspicion of committing acts which constitutes criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public funds, economic sabotage, economic crimes of national security dimensions and undermining the security of Nigeria.”

He told the court on June 20 that the DSS needed more time to conclude its investigation.

The legal team from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation also urged the court to decline jurisdiction on Emefiele’s request for release or bail.

But the suspended CBN governor’s lawyer, J. Daudu SAN, maintained that his client cannot be kept in detention for over a month without a formal charge.

In his verdict on Thursday, the presiding judge, Justice Muazu, held that the continued detention of the suspended CBN governor cannot continue when there is no formal charge against him.

“I hereby make an order that the respondents within one week charge the applicant to court or release him on bail,” the judge held.

After the court rose, an official familiar with developments at the DSS, told THE WHISTLER that “he (Emefiele) will be charged soon” by the federal government agencies.

The official told our correspondent that the embattled CBN governor, having been charged (but the charge was yet to be made public), will be arraigned at the Federal High Court, Lagos Division because the alleged offense is “jurisdictional.”

This website understands that the charges to be filed against Emefiele is in the interim (in view of the FCT High Court verdict mandating the secret service to sue him within one week) and may be amended after proceedings have commenced.

THE WHISTLER also gathered that Emefiele’s arraignment may be line with the DSS’ allegations of criminal breach of trust, incitement to violence, criminal misappropriation of public funds, economic sabotage, and economic crimes of national security dimensions.

The secret service may also bring up fresh allegations in the charges.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had on June 9 suspended the CBN governor from office, to enable investigation into allegations against him.

The CBN Deputy Governor in charge of Operations, Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, was subsequently directed by the president to step in an acting capacity.

Emefiele was arrested by the DSS afterward and has since been at its detention facility.

OFFICIAL

After THE WHISTLER exclusive report on the development, the DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya, in a statement on Thursday, said “Sequel to an Abuja High Court Order of today, 13th July, 2023, the Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that Mr Godwin Emefiele has been charged to court in compliance with the Order.”

Without providing the details of the charge or where Emefiele would be arraigned, the spokesperson maintained the DSS was committed to acting in a professional manner.

“In a statement, the Force public relations officer Peter Afunaya, recalls that the Service had, in 2022, applied for a Court Order to detain him in respect of a criminal investigation.

“The statement notes that though Emefiele obtained a restraining order from an FCT High Court, the Service, however, arrested him in June, 2023, on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.

“The Service assures the public of professionalism, justice and fairness in handling this matter and indeed the discharge of its duties within the confines of the law,” the spokesperson added.