By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja

A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, has urged the Federal Government to strictly adhere to the principle of rule of law, fairness and justice, in handling the case against the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Daudu, SAN, who spoke with newsmen on Saturday, urged FG to take cognizance of pronouncement of courts of competent jurisdictions, relating to the arrest and continued detention of the embattled suspended CBN governor, by the Department of State Services, DSS.

He said: “I do not think that the President, Bola Tinubu, who is a newly minted President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will like to start his administration with the organizations under him disobeying court orders. 

“He (Tinubu) was in the forefront as a NADECO man to chastise military governments for disobeying court orders. 

“Now that power is in his hand, we will  see whether he, himself, will obey court orders.” 

The erstwhile NBA President noted that Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, had last Thursday, ordered the security agency to within seven days, either try Emefiele or release him on adminstrative bail.

Justice Muazu, he further noted, held that allegations the agency levelled against the suspended CBN governor, contained bailable offences. 

Considering that the DSS has filed a two-count charge against Emefiele before the Federal High Court in Lagos, Daudu, SAN, maintained that the trial should be conducted according to the dictates of the law.

Similarly, an Abuja-based human rights activist, Mr. Abdulazeez Tijani, faulted the prolonged detention of Emefiele in custody on the premise that the DSS had yet to conclude its investigations.

According to him, “For more than four months, the  DSS had sought to arrest Emefiele. Between that time and now, it ought to have completed its investigation.

“The DSS cannot hide under Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, to hold a Nigerian citizen till eternity because ACJA is inferior to the 1999 Constitution.

“The 1999 Constitution, as amended, is so specific and categorical on how long a Nigerian citizen should be held. It gave maximum of 48 hours. That is the Supreme Law on the fundermental rights of the citizens and must be obeyed to the letter.

“That aspect of the Constitution does not permit any arm of security agency to hold a Nigerian citizen down and unlawfully begin to fish for evidence, as in the instant matter, to charge him to court. That is not our law,” Tijjani added.

It will be recalled that Emefiele at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos on June 10, a day after he was suspended as the governor of the CBN by President Tinubu.He had since then, remained in custody as the DSS maintained that his detention was based on the order of an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court.
However, barely four hours after the high court in Abuja gave a timeline for his trial or release from detention, the security agency, preferred a charge against him. 
In the two-count charge marked: FHC/L/437/2023, Emefiele, was accused of unlawfully possessing one single barrel shot gun (Jojeff Magnum 8371) without licence, and thereby committed an offence under Section 4 of the Firearms  Laws of the Federation 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) (b) (i) of the same act.He was 

equally accused of having in his possession, 123 rounds of live ammunition (catridges) without licence.

The security agency told the court that the items were recovered when it searched Emefiele’s residence at No.3B Iru Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.