Civil Society Organisations and Ethnic youth leaders have condemned the alleged invasion of the Lagos residence of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and his alleged forceful arrest by men of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The CSOs and Ethnic youth leaders made their position known in a statement issued on Saturday by the Co leader Comrade Isa Abubakar
The DSS operatives were said to have invaded Emefiele’s Lagos residence at about 2am, blindfolded him and forcefully took him away.
But the CSOs and the ethnic youth leaders lamented that the manner in which the operation was carried out suggested that the dark days of Abacha military era have returned.
They regretted that DSS arrested Emefiele despite a subsisting court order barring them from doing so.
They cited a December 2022 judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory barring the DSS and the Inspector General of Police from arresting and detaining Emefiele over allegations of terrorism and sundry offences against him.
They therefore demanded Emefiele’s immediate release.
The statement read: “We, as CSOs and Ethnic youth leaders, who fought and stood for this democracy we currently enjoy cannot stand and watch helplessly while anti-democratic forces are doing all to truncate this democracy.
“We note with regret that Dr Emefiele’s arrest is against the subsisting judgment of a competent court that barred the DSS from arresting him.
“Also restrained by the court order are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria, who are listed as the first, second and fifth defendants.
“Justice MA Hassan made the order while delivering judgment in a suit marked GAR/CV/41/2022, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Forum for Accountability and Good Leadership.
“We therefore call on the DSS to immediately release him and stop further actions that can plunge this country back into the dark days of Abacha military era.
“One of the major ingredients of democracy is respect for the rule of law. This must not be discarded for any reason.”
