The African Bar Association (AFBA), the global body for all practising lawyers in Africa, has warned the Department of State Services (DSS) or any other security agency to desist from their planned arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele.
The CBN governor is currently being intimidated over alleged trump up charge of terrorism financing despite a court decision baring the agency from doing so.
The AFBA, in a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja Tuesday, said arresting the apex bank’s boss could lead to anarchy and possibly derail the 2023 general election.
The association, in the statement signed by its chairman on the Human and Constitutional Rights Committee, Sonnie Ekwowusi, specifically asked the DSS to comply fully with the decision of the Federal High Court.
Ekwowusi said the court bared the DSS or any other security agency from arresting or inviting the CBN governor over the alleged fabricated charge of terrorism and economic crimes.
He said: “We the international lawyers insist that rule of law must be followed and in the case of the CBN governor and DSS, the status quo must be maintained until all the legal processes are fully exhausted.”
AFBA said the reported move by the DSS to arrest Emefiele despite a court decision restraining them was beginning to send wrong signals abroad about Nigeria.
According to him, violation of the decision of the court is a recipe to anarchy and can derail the upcoming electoral process in Nigeria.
Part of the statement read: “The court had in its wisdom said there was no sufficient evidence to link the CBN governor to terrorism or any economic crime.
“We expect the DSS to respect the decision of the court to the fullest and doing otherwise would always lead to anarchy.
“The Human and Constitutional Committee of the African Bar Association has watched with regret the ongoing drama between the Department of State Services ( DSS) of Nigeria and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria over sundry issues allegedly bordering on state security, corruption and politics.
“While the association would have ordinarily regarded this as a domestic issue involving Nigeria, which can adequately be delt with by local bar association and civil society organisation in Nigeria, it has a far reaching implication of violation of due process of law and human rights which is universal.
“The implication of this on a democratic Nigeria, the largest black nation and the upcoming general election which will usher in a new democratically elected government have made it imperative that we urge that the rule of law and due process must be respected and allowed to prevail as recourse to self help or abuse of state power is recipe for chaos and anarchy.
“The DSS opted the Federal High Court in Nigeria to hand her the authority to arrest the CBN governor, which the court rejected on the grounds that there was insufficient information amongst others, that ought to put the DSS on its toes that it needed to do more homework or walk the road on her own.”
Credit: This Day