The suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele has been rearrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) shortly after being granted bail by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Earlier, a Federal High Court in Lagos granted bail to the suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele. The bail was set at N20 million, and was required to produce a surety of the same amount. The court’s decision, delivered on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, followed arguments presented by Emefiele’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN).
Daudu contended that the charges against Emefiele were bailable offenses, and he also questioned the Federal Government’s failure to provide any substantial evidence suggesting that Emefiele posed a flight risk. The presiding judge, Nicolas Oweibo, agreed with Daudu’s arguments and subsequently granted Emefiele bail.
The case against Emefiele arose after his arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS) in June 2023, based on allegations of financial impropriety. The trial has been scheduled to commence on November 14, with the defendant ordered to remain in the custody of the correctional service until the bail conditions were met.
However, after the court proceedings and during the adjournment, Emefiele remained in the courtroom for an extended period. Observing the situation, journalists present at the court premises speculated that the DSS might re-arrest him. Their suspicions were confirmed when a senior officer from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) attempted to take Emefiele into custody as per the court’s directive for remand until bail was perfected.
At this point, the DSS intervened and resisted the NCoS officer’s attempt to apprehend Emefiele, leading to a confrontation between the two agencies. Eventually, the DSS intercepted Emefiele as he exited the courtroom and took him away in a police vehicle at approximately 3:15 pm.
The reason behind the DSS’s decision to re-arrest the suspended CBN governor remains unclear at this time.