DSS, Prison officials fight over Emefiele’s custody

Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Tuesday allegedly fought over the custody of suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

The secret police and prison officials clashed over the agency to take custody of the suspended and embattled apex bank chief after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m.

There was a clash at the Federal High Court in Lagos as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) tussled over who would take custody of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele," CTV tweeted.

The judge also ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bringing Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to take him back to their detention center.

This prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police.

After the court ruling, the suspended CBN governor holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers.

However, when the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a fight.

Amid the clash, Emefiele’s lawyers “reluctantly allowed the DSS disobey court order and take custody of their client” to avoid a gun battle.

The prison officials then exited the court in their vehicle and the DSS took charge.

President Bola Tinubu had suspended Emefiele as the apex bank chief on June 9, 2023. A day after, the DSS confirmed that the embattled and suspended CBN chief was in its custody.