Following a report that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele is considering seeking asylum in the United Kingdom or the United States amid threat of arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerians have bemoaned the potential negative impact of such move on the nation’s image.
Emefiele is said to be on a vacation sanctioned by President Muhammadu Buhari and is expected back to his duty post on January 9th.
However, the CBN governor, who left Nigeria on December 26, is unwilling to return to the country as he is facing the most potent threat to his reign at the apex bank since assuming leadership in June 2014, Peoples Gazette reported.
“Since it is now looking impossible for him to return to Nigeria, the next move is to file for asylum in the UK.
“The UK is his first option for asylum, but he has not ruled out the United States, either,” the report quoted an unnamed source as saying.
Emefiele has been under intense scrutiny in recent times, with the DSS trying unsuccessfully to get a court to sanction his arrest and detention for financing terrorism.
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Many Nigerians have been reacting to Emefiele’s purported asylum move, with many arguing for and against it.
A UK-based Nigerian, @OluomoofDerby, tweeted, “Godwin Emefiele seeking asylum in the UK is a total disgrace to our country. We can’t keep on showing the rest of the world that we’re a lawless country. The SSS threats against Emefiele should be stopped. It’s a total lack of respect for the rule of law in our country.”
Godwin Emefiele seeking asylum in the UK is a total disgrace to our country.
We can’t keep on showing the rest of the world that we’re a lawless country.
The SSS threats against Emefiele should be stopped. It’s a total lack of respect for the rule of law in our country.
— 🎙OLUOMO OF DERBY 🇳🇬 🇬🇧 (@Oluomoofderby) January 2, 2023
Chika Agu wrote, “From CBN governor to presidential candidate to potential asylum seeker……….the future teaches us to be alarmed.”
A businessman, Nonso Chukwuka tweeted, “There’s nothing that I would love to see as much as this guy being arrested and tried for enabling some of the most draconian and evil monetary policies including his infamous clampdown on Endsars par takers and cryptocurrency.”
Emma Okafor tweeted, “There are serious corruption and fraud related issues for which Godwin Emefiele needs to be held accountable, and prosecuted, but the DSS, by contriving to act with nefarious intent is messing this all up thereby scuttling the opportunity to bring Emefiele to justice.”
Another Twitter user, @C_CDon tweeted, “The sight of Meffy in a dinghy on the British channel trying to be ferried across by some border dealers will just be hilarious.”
Raymond Nnamdi Obi tweeted, “Few years ago baba was freezing accounts of #EndSars protesters… today he is running from an agency of the same govt…”
James Agada wrote, “Do we still have a country. CBN Governor on the run?”
@Mistonsig wrote, “That man must not go. He should be throughly investigated. Naira is now useless compared to how he met it. His decision has affected many lives. Let him come out clean and SSS too should follow due process in doing so.”