Growing outrage ensued following a violent clash between officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. The clash was over the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who had been granted bail by Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
The tension escalated as the prison officials and secret police contested who should have custody of the embattled apex bank chief. In the midst of the melee, a prison officer’s uniform was nearly torn apart before the situation was diffused.
Constitutional Lawyers have condemned the unprofessional conduct of the DSS and called for the suspension and arrest of the agency’s Director General, Yusuf Bichi. Barr. Tijani Ahmed and other lawyers leading the statement appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and preserve democracy and the image of the judiciary.
The lawyers expressed concern over the continuous disregard for the rule of law by the DSS and urged immediate action by the government to end such abuse of power.
According to reports, after Justice Nicholas Oweibo’s ruling, where Emefiele was granted bail of N20 million, DSS operatives attempted to take him to their detention center, raising alarm among his legal team. This led to the clash between the DSS and prison officials over Emefiele’s custody.
The statement from the constitutional lawyers emphasized the need to hold the DSS accountable for its actions, citing multiple instances of non-compliance with court orders. They called for the arrest of the DSS DG to address the agency’s rogue behavior and ensure the rule of law is respected.
