Hours after an FCT High Court gave a seven-day ultimatum for the Department of State Services (DSS) to arraign Godwin Emefiele or release him on bail, the secret police said it has arraigned the detained suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor.
The DSS said this in a Thursday statement signed by its Public Relations officer (PRO), Dr. Peter Afunanya.
However, the DSS spokesman failed to give the details of the charges levied against Emefiele or the court in which the case is pending.
Recall that Justice Hamza Muazu issued the seven-day ultimatum on Thursday, July 13, while ruling on a fundamental human rights suit instituted by Emefiele against the DSS and others.
In his ruling, the presiding judge held that while the DSS has powers to carry out its constitutional duties of making arrest, detention, and preventing internal crime, such duties must be carried out within the ambit of the law.
According to Justice Muazu, the DSS’ power of arrest and detention is not beyond the stipulated conditions under which a Nigerian citizen must be held and for how long.
The judge, therefore, ordered that the applicant should be released on bail if he is not charged before a competent court within one week.
The DSS statement read, “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.”