[Updated] SSS Charges Godwin Emefiele

It takes a man/woman who has reached the topmost mountain to know the depth of the deepest valleys.  That Godwin Emefiele, the suspended governor of Nigeria’s apex bank, has been charged to court is a lesson for ages. While the details of the charges have not been made public, note this: doing your job poorly in banking is not an excuse; a bank could charge you for sabotage.

As I have noted the challenges we faced as young graduates running a bank’s end of day runs which if you make a single mistake, the bank would not open the next day because “system is down”. Largely, two young men have an enormous power in the night to determine what happens in a bank. If you sleep and do not execute, the penalty may not be just being fired, indeed you could be prosecuted for sabotaging the bank, because the bank would not open for business the next day. (Of course, they paid you so well that it was all blissful.)

So, the case against Emefiele will be intriguing. Here is what the secret police said:

“Sequel to an Abuja High Court Order of today, 13th July 2023, the Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that Mr Godwin Emefiele has been charged to court in compliance with the Order,” SSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya wrote.

“In a statement, the Force public relations officer Peter Afunaya, recalls that the Service had, in 2022, applied for a Court Order to detain him in respect of a criminal investigation.

“The statement notes that though Emefiele obtained a restraining order from an FCT High Court, the Service, however, arrested him in June 2023 on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.

“The Service assures the public of professionalism, justice and fairness in handling this matter and indeed the discharge of its duties within the confines of the law,” .

Emefiele will be out soon; Nigeria rarely prosecutes rich men who have access to SANs and amalgam of big lawyers. Yet, I expect fairness and his rights must be respected, as written in the rule book. I understand the emotions but pause that because it takes a “village” of policymakers to wreck Nigeria, and if you look critically, you cannot put it on just one man. From insecurity to porous borders to everything, it goes beyond what happened in the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) headquarters. So, Nigeria must modulate, and be factual, on this voyage of prosecuting its central bank governor!

Update: It seems Emefiele has been released

NEWS FLASH

High Court of FCT nullifies warrant of arrest, detention and interrogation of suspended Governor of CBN, Godwin Emefiele by department of state services pic.twitter.com/b3j0xjtuF9

— NTA News (@NTANewsNow) July 14, 2023

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