‘Shameful’ — NBA President Scolds DSS For Public Fight With Prisons Officials Over Emefiele

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the public altercation between operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) on the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday over custody of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele was granted a N20 million bail after he pleaded not guilty to two count charges bordering on Illegal possession of firearms as instituted by the DSS.

The court also ordered that his bail materialises after perfection of conditions.

After the court rose, some masked operatives of the DSS and those of the Correctional Service were seen pushing themselves out of the court building.

Reacting to the development in a press release made available to THE WHISTLER on Wednesday, the NBA president, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, held that the development had to do with who should keep the embattled governor pending determination of his bail.

He described the officers’ behaviour as “despicable”.

The NBA president particularly denounced the DSS for its role in the “disgraceful and unlawful conduct, considering the fact that the Court had earlier ordered that the suspended CBN Government be kept in a Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.”

Maikyau explained that while courts and judicial processes serve as the barometer by which the conduct of Nigerians or agencies of government are measured in terms of rule of law, the development is further evidence of the lack of discipline and absence of professionalism that continues to allegedly plague key security institutions in Nigeria.

“A situation where officers of Federal Government agencies engage in a fight as witnessed by the public, for whatever reason, is antithetical to our security as a nation and creates a recipe for anarchy and chaos. Both the DSS and the NCoS are important institutions dealing with national security and administration of justice respectively, and the need for them to work in concert towards attaining justice in a secured Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.

“While it is difficult not to hold the leadership of the two federal government agencies directly responsible for the shameful and disgraceful conduct of the personnel, the NBA President has particularly called on the two agencies to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in this disgraceful conduct,” he stated.

The NBA president called for an overhaul of the two institution as a way to install discipline and professionalism to the nation’s security architecture.

The statement signed by Akorede Habeeb Lawal, National Publicity Secretary, NBA further reads, “The NBA has further condemned the brazen disrespect for the judicial process and sanctity of the court premises.

“In addition to this disciplinary measure, Mr. Maikyau also advised a complete overhaul of the institutions and a total reorientation of the personnel, to achieve professionalism and ensure synergy in the discharge of their respective constitutional responsibilities.

“The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) remains committed to the promotion and protection of the principles of the rule of law and due process, within a safe and secured Nigeria.”

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that the embattled CBN governor had been detained by DSS for over a month.