It has been revealed why Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was rearrested on Tuesday by the Department of State Services (DSS) just hours after being granted bail by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
News About Nigeria gathered that the re-arrest led to a physical fight between DSS officers and officers from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), who were in charge of Emefiele.
Before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, Emefiele was accused of possessing guns illegally. He entered a not-guilty plea and was given a bail bond of N20 million.
Emefiele was later ordered to remain in the custody of the penitentiary system until he completed his bail requirements. The court then moved the trial to November 14.
Emefiele decided to remain in the courtroom even after the session was over because he was concerned about the potential of being detained again by the DSS.
Former Nigerian Bar Association President Joseph Daudu, who is now his lawyer, advised the court on the DSS’s intent to re-arrest Emefiele.
Tensions increased when a senior officer from the Nigerian Correctional Service attempted to take Emefiele into custody per the court’s order and was met by DSS operatives stationed at the entrance of the courtroom.
An NCoS officer’s clothes were damaged during this fight, the media were asked to leave, and court employees and visitors ran away for safety.
The DSS has yet to formally explain the reason why Emefiele was detained again.
The re-arrest, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, was carried out using an arrest order issued by a magistrate’s court based on suspicions of supporting terrorism.
The source added, “The arrest warrant was based on an allegation of financing terrorism. We don’t know the propriety of the arrest warrant because a copy has not been made available to the defense team.
“We don’t know why the DSS will obtain an arrest warrant from a magistrate’s court when a Federal High Court has already granted him bail. This is impunity of the highest order,” the source told the Daily Trust.
