The suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has had his passport seized by the Department of State Services (DSS), News About Nigeria reports.
In addition, it has been revealed that the DSS may conduct searches at Emefiele’s residence and office later this week.
Emefiele was arrested by the DSS in Lagos and transported to Abuja via a private jet after his suspension on Friday, which came due to an ongoing investigation into his office and the proposed reforms in the financial sector.
According to Peter Afunanya, the spokesperson for the DSS, Emefiele is currently in custody and under investigation.
A source within the DSS has stated that it is standard procedure to seize Emefiele’s travel document until the investigation is concluded.
Furthermore, both his residence and office will be searched for any documents that may assist in the ongoing investigation into his management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
It has been reported that other senior directors of the CBN may also be summoned or arrested for questioning their roles in the administration of the apex bank.
The DSS is also considering revisiting the criminal charges previously filed against Emefiele, which include allegations of terrorism financing and fraud.
The DSS has accused the suspended CBN governor of mismanaging the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending and the Anchor Borrowers Programme, both of which are CBN subsidiaries.
In the midst of these developments, human rights advocate Femi Falana has raised concerns regarding the constitutional jurisdiction of the DSS in investigating and prosecuting Emefiele.
According to Falana, the appropriate course of action would be to transfer Emefiele into the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an organization that holds the necessary legal authority to handle his prosecution.
Referencing a previous Supreme Court ruling in the case of Dr. Bukola Saraki, Falana highlights that the EFCC lacks the power to investigate and prosecute individuals for breaches of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
Based on this precedent, Falana asserts that the SSS also lacks the authority to investigate and prosecute Emefiele for alleged money laundering and other economic crimes.
Consequently, Falana argues that once the SSS completes its investigation into Emefiele’s alleged involvement in terrorism financing, he should be handed over to the EFCC for further investigation.
