HURIWA Condemns DSS’ Battle with Warders over Emefiele

* Says action an nnmitigated image disaster for Nigeria 

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has joined in the condemnation of the show of shame orchestrated by the Department of State Services (DSS), when it engaged officials of the Correctional Service in fisticuffs over the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos, had on Tuesday admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of N20 million and one surety in like sum, shortly after he pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of alleged illegal possession of firearms on which he was arraigned before the court.

The judge however ordered that Emefiele be kept in custody of the Correctional Service pending the perfection of the bail.

The order however appeared to have infuriated the DSS, with its personnel once again desecrating the court premises just to rearrest Emefiele.

Reacting, HURIWA described the incidence as an “unmitigated image disaster for Nigeria”, adding that President Bola Tinubu should do something urgently to restore professionalism and discipline in the two institutions.

The civil rights advocacy group, in a statement by the National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, noted that the open disrespect of the unambiguous order of the presiding judge that Emefiele be detained at the Lagos Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, shows that Nigeria is almost going down the drain and if not checked, could snowball into a banana Republic.  

“The government must call the DSS particularly to order and there has to be some kind of sanctions administratively for this open show of shame except and unless the entire drama which has muddied the global public relations image of Nigeria was choreographed by the DSS and Prison warders on the express order of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. 

“Aside the issue of a clear and present danger that the Nigerian government has allowed the institutions of the federation to be populated by some persons with no regards to public decency, professionalism, discipline and ethics, there is also the threat this event of a very despicable kind has on Nigeria and this will scare away willing foreign direct investors who would now think that Nigeria is in an autopilot position whereby the decisions of the competent courts of law are treated with disdain by a statutory law enforcement body such as the DSS,” it said.