Lawyers urge obedience to court orders as DSS lays siege to CBN Governor’s office

*Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have asked the Federal Government to ensure all security agencies obey the court orders restraining them from arresting, detaining or intimidating Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria

*DSS denies invasion of CBN, describes reports as ‘fake news’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Despite an earlier court order refraining the Officers from intimidating the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over alleged terrorism financing, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) Monday, January 16, 2023, laid siege to the Office of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at the CBN Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT.

It was learnt the DSS operative, Monday afternoon in 20 vehicles filled with armed personnel, stormed the banking regulator’s Headquarters, located in Garki area of the FCT.

DSS officials

The operatives also barred all staff of the Bank from gaining access to Emefiele’s office, report stated.

Reports of invasion of CBN misleading, says DSS
Peter Afunanya, Public Relations Officer (PRO) at DSS, National Headquarters, Abuja, in a statement issued later Monday, however, described some viral reports, which also claimed that the CBN Governor had been arrested as “fake news”.

Afunanya stated: “The attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been drawn to the false news making the round that its operatives invaded the Central Bank of Nigeria and arrested its Governor, today 16/1/23.
“This is fake news and quite misleading.”

But he did not clarify what exactly took place between the security agency and the CBN Headquarters same day.

The denial came amid reports from CBN that Emefiele had resumed work after his trip overseas.

It is recalled the CBN Governor has been having a running battle with the DSS over allegation of terrorism financing in recent weeks.

DSS had earlier sought a court order to arrest Emefiele, who had been out of the country on annual leave.

However, a Federal High Court, December 2022, had refrained the Department of State Services from arresting, inviting, or detaining the Governor of CBN.

Lawyers urge DSS to obey court orders, avoid lawlessness

Earlier, some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had asked the Federal Government to ensure the DSS obeys the court orders from the Federal High Court and an Abuja High Court, which had restrained them from arresting, detaining or intimidating Emefiele.

Adetokunbo Olukayode, in a statement, had urged Mr. Abubakar Malami Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, to ensure full adherence to the rule of law, and advise security agencies, especially the DSS to comply with the court order of the courts and not do anything that will cast the present administration in a negative light before the international community.

The silks also stressed that it behooves on all the Nigerian security agencies to obey the orders of the court until such orders are vacated by an appellate court.