Inibehe Effiong, a legal practitioner and social critic, has raised serious concerns about the Department of State Services (DSS) in their approach towards the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
In a recent statement posted on his verified Twitter account, Effiong accused the DSS of pursuing Emefiele’s case in a biased manner. He pointed out that while the agency was aggressively targeting Emefiele for possessing primitive guns, they seemed to turn a blind eye to Asari Dokubo, who openly displayed an assault rifle while reportedly raising a private army and facing no apparent consequences.
Adding to his criticism, Effiong asserted that the DSS’s actions were a direct violation of a court order that mandated Emefiele’s remand in the Correctional Centre. He went on to claim that this conduct amounted to the desecration of the court and accused the DSS of being politically influenced, suggesting it is used as a partisan tool by those in power at Aso Rock.
He wrote, “The SSS has recorded yet another point in its long list of infamy and impunity.
“The show of shame at the Federal High Court in Lagos is a vindication of those of us who have said time and again, that this so-called law enforcement agency is nothing but a political and partisan tool in the hands of every occupant of Aso Rock.
“It is very disgusting to see the crude desecration of the Federal High Court in Lagos by the SSS. The Court ordered that Emefiele be remanded in the Correctional Centre, but the reckless and lawless SSS, in its usual character, went after Emefiele in flagrant violation of the order of the court.
“Such despicable sights should not be tolerated in a constitutional democracy. Mr. Tinubu retained Mr. Bichi as the DG of the SSS because Bichi is always willing to deploy the agency to witch-hunt Tinubu’s perceived political foes.
“When Godwin Emefiele was suspended as the CBN Governor, many Nigerians wrongly assumed that his suspension was aimed at holding him accountable for his terrible monetary policies and any infraction he may have committed under the corrupt Buhari regime.
“However, all that the government has been able to come up with so far are two ridiculous and dubious charges of illegal possession of firearms.
“While Asari Dokubo, who has publicly displayed an assault rifle, is busy raising a private army and walking freely, the SSS shamelessly went after Emefiele over possession of primitive guns.
“Tinubu must accept responsibility for the invasion of the court. The Judiciary is now at the mercy of a lawless agency of the executive arm of government.