Groups insist on arrest, prosecution of Emefiele over terrorism, financial crimes

Some civil society groups have insisted that Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), must arrest and prosecute the Governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, over allegations of terrorism financing and economic crimes against him.

In separate statements, the Center for Security and Terrorism Prevention (CSTP) and pro-democracy groups – Stand Up For Nigeria, and National Conscience Movement called for Emefiele’s immediate resignation.

The DSS reportedly filed an application marked FHC/Abj/CS/2255/2022 on December 7, 2022, before Justice J.T. Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to arrest the CBN governor over allegations bordering on “acts of financing terrorism, fraudulent activities and economic crimes of national security dimension.”

But the court refused to grant a warrant for Emefiele’s arrest.

“In the light of the foregoing reasons, I decline to grant this application ex parte.

“If the applicant believes that the evidence available to it so far is sufficient, then it can as well arrest and detain the applicant, even without the order of the court. If however the applicant desires to still pursue this application, then it should place the respondent on notice considering the sensitive public office that he occupies,” Justice Tsoho said.

While some civil society groups have backed the CBN governor, CSTP commended the secret police for what it described as a thorough and professional investigation that culminated in the indictment of Emefiele as the ‘chief sponsor of terrorism in the country’.

CSTP in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Abiodun Jakande and Secretary, Onuh Ogbonna, described the investigation as timely and asked why it took the DSS so long to discover what was so obvious.

“We are delighted with the findings of this investigation by DSS. It is no longer news that the CBN is complicit in the wave of terrorist activities going on in the country. It is curious that with all the regulatory frameworks put in place to prevent money laundering, terrorists continue to operate with the most sophisticated weapons purchased with the naira.

“It is strange and suspicious that very large amounts of money have been changing hands between kidnappers and their abductors and family members without the CBN lifting up a little finger.

“If Mr. Emefiele was not involved even remotely with these shady deals, he would have performed his oversight function and investigated such transactions because they outrightly qualified to be termed suspicious. His inaction is complicit and he must be held accountable,” CSTP said.

The group dismissed the court order restraining DSS from arresting the CBN governor, urging the secret police to re-strategise.

CSTP urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Emefiele immediately to show Nigerians that he is truly an anti-corruption crusader and to “support Emefiele’s arrest and prosecution so that terrorism will finally be crushed in Nigeria”.

Similarly, pro-democracy groups known as Stand Up For Nigeria, and the National Conscience Movement called for Emefiele’s immediate resignation, saying that “Emefiele’s economic sabotage is well documented as it has plunged Nigerians into untold suffering.”

The groups accused Emefiele of initiating destructive policies to enable his associates to benefit from the damage he is causing the country.

“The latest of these misadventures is the introduction of re-coloured 200, 500 and 1000 naira notes, which Emefiele’s associates have again hijacked to the detriment of citizens. Contrary to the assurances he gave President Muhammadu Buhari to secure approval for the exercise, commercial banks ran short of available notes within six hours of the December 15 200 take-off date while all the touted benefits were proven untrue within 48 hours.

“On the strength of the foregoing, Stand Up for Nigeria with the National Conscience Movement is hereby demanding that Mr. Godwin Emefiele resigns his position as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria within the next 24 hours. If Mr. Emefiele has not resigned upon the expiration of our 24-hour ultimatum, we shall reconvene to unfurl measures that will ensure he complies. We are confident that Nigeria will not enter the year 2023 with Emefiele at the helm of affairs at the CBN,” the statement jointly issued by the groups said.