DSS claims Emefiele charged, but did not give details

July 13, (THEWILL) – The Department of State Services (DSS), on Thursday night, claimed that Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN), has been charged to court.

This is coming barely eight hours after a Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered that Emefiele be released on administrative bail if he is not taken to a competent court within one week.

The DSS had detained Emefiele without trial since his arrest on June 10, after he was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on Friday, June 9.

However, in a seeming dramatic move, Spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, in statement on Thursday night, said the Service has charged Emefiele to court.

Afunanya, who did not disclose when Emefiele was charged, the court and the charges against him, said the charge was in compliance with Thursday’s ruling of Justice Muazu..

He said: “Sequel to an Abuja High Court Order of today, 13th July, 2023, the Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele has been charged to court in compliance with the Order.

“The public may recall that the Service had, in 2022, applied for a Court Order to detain him in respect of a criminal investigation.

“Though he 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 DSS said.