DSS, NCoS Scuffle Over Custody of Emefiele Condemned by PRAWA

By Steve Aya

Last week’s open scuffle at the premises of the Federal High Court, Lagos between Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and Department of State Services (DSS),@ has been condemned by the non-governmental organisation group, the Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare and Action (PRAWA). 

In a statement issued by PRAWA’s Executive Director, Dr Uju Agomoh, she called for an urgent investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident and punishment of erring officers.

“The scuffle at the Federal High Court was a shameful case of inter-agency conflict and rivalry which has no basis in the first instance, because the order of the court is clear on which agency should take responsibility of keeping the Defendant pending his meeting the bail conditions. 

“Secondly, the laws of this country are clear on the responsibilities of the different agencies of the criminal justice system. The question is, why was the order of the court disobeyed? Why go against the laws of the land?”

PRAWA further said: “The clear show of contempt and disrespect to the order of the court portends serious danger, and Nigerian Citizens are called to speak-up in condemnation of this evil wind that has the potentiality of destroying all that we hold dear to us”.

“There is no plausible excuse for this public display of lack of professionalism, and invitation to mockery and ridicule of our dear country in the committee of nations.

Dr Agomoh also said that there was need for law enforcement and security agencies to acknowledge the limits of their powers, respect rule of law and human rights, and draw lines between ‘prosecution’ and ‘persecution’ of suspects and Defendants.

The Federal High Court, Lagos incident is a clear confirmation of the perennial challenge of lack of collaboration and poor coordination among the agencies of the criminal justice system, which has remained a regular cause of inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the delivery of criminal justice in Nigeria. 

“Cooperation and coordination of agencies of the criminal justice system is critical to the delivery of criminal justice; and a well-managed criminal justice system enables peace, safety, security, progress and development of the nation. 

“It is really paradoxical, and an obvious national tragedy for an agency of government to undermine the whole essence of the system that established it”, the statement further said. 

Hon. Justice Nicholas Oweibo, had granted Godwin Emefiele, the embattled suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bail, and remanded him in the custody of the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending the satisfaction of his bail.

However, the scuffle occurred over which agency gets the custody of former CBN Chief, when DSS Operatives insisted that they had orders to take Emefiele back into their custody, notwithstanding the court order.