Abuja, Nigeria — Nigeria's Department of State Services, or DSS, has launched an investigation into the chaotic arrest of Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele.
The DSS secret police agency said in a statement Wednesday the arrest of Emefiele was unfortunate, and undue overzealousness was exhibited when its own officials and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service clashed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday as DSS officers took Emefiele away despite a court order granting him bail.
DSS vowed to investigate who was responsible for the courtroom incident. But DSS also asserted that it had not flouted any laws in its handling of the case against Emefiele, who faces charges for illegally possessing firearms. However, many say those allegations may be politically motivated retaliation for Emefiele's monetary policies.
The DSS denies this and says critics are trying to sway the narrative. DSS spokesperson Peter Afunnaya did not take calls for comment.
But Chidi Omeje, founder of Security Digest Newspapers, says the DSS did not act in line with the law.
"Are they going to investigate themselves in a matter that they orchestrated? In a matter that they are the aggressors?" Omeje said. "They should be investigated to know whether we have rogue elements within that service that are bullish, impudent. They have become a bully."
Emefiele was first arrested in early June by DSS secret police and has since been detained.
He is not the only high-ranking official from the immediate past administration to be targeted by the secret police agency. DSS officers in mid-June arrested Abdulrasheed Bawa, head of Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, whom President Bola Tinubu suspended from that role upon taking office.
Eze Onyekwere, founder of the Center for Social Justice, says such arrests of officials could be politically motivated.
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"This is politics at the highest level. [Emefiele] occupied a very sensitive financial position for a number of years and after telling us how he has ruined the economy, all we get to hear is he was in possession of a double barrel gun? Is that all they could find?" Onyekwere said. "This is simply vendetta; it has nothing to do with offending Nigerian laws. When they bring the proper charges, Nigerians will know."
Onyekpere says the DSS must obey the rule of law.
"It was extremely insulting on the Nigerian people for a public officer to disobey the powers of the court. The expectation was for them to apologize and comply with that order. I think the DSS should be told in clear terms that they're not above the law; we're not in a military dictatorship. The rule of law must be respected," Onyekpere said.
Late last year as Nigeria prepared for February's polls, Emefiele rolled out economic policies including the redesigning of Nigeria's Naira notes to curb vote buying and tackle inflation. The policies were mostly criticized by politicians who cited the negative effects on millions of Nigerians.
On Thursday, an Abuja High Court declined an application by the secret police seeking to detain Emefiele for another 14 days.
