Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has sneaked back into the country amidst fears of arrest and allegations of corruption.
Investors King gathered that the CBN Governor arrived Nigeria on Wednesday quietly after being in the blackout for two weeks following President Muhammadu Buhari’s leave permission which expired Tuesday.
The State Security Service (SSS) have been on the trail of Emefiele who has been alleged to be involved in corruption and terrorism financing.
Amidst the political power tussle among the big wigs of the Nigerian government, Investors King understands that Emefiele will not stay lomng within the shores of the country as he plans to keep escaping the SSS.
Recall it was reported that the SSS secretly wanted a court order to arrest Emefiele but The Federal High Court, Abuja, rejected the request, in a 9 December ruling, on the stand that the SSS had failed to present relevant evidence to warrant the issuance of an arrest order against Emefiele.
The court declared that the “continuous harassments, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of right of Office, surreptitious moves to arrest, and humiliation of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria over trumped up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices, etc by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents and their officers is vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive, oppressive and same constitute a flagrant breach of his rights to personal liberty, dignity of human person, right to policy making powers freedom of thought, conscience and religion and movement as respectively provided and enshrined under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act AND, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal”.
According to the SSS, the CBN governor has been alleged of “acts of financing terrorism, fraudulent activities and economic crimes of national security dimension.”
The SSS filed the application marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 at the court on 7 December 2022. Mr Emefiele was the sole defendant in the suit which was filed ‘ex parte’, meaning Mr Emefiele was not notified of the suit.
Meanwhile, The Senior Special Assistant to the president on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, and the spokesperson of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osita Nwanisobi, have however remained quiet on the issue and arrival of the Governor.
