The Department of State Services issued a warning on Saturday to individuals and groups it said were plotting “campaigns of calumny against it and the Federal Government over the suspension and subsequent investigation of Mr Godwin Emefiele.”
The DSS, through its spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, stated in a statement that the groups planned to converge at several locations in Abuja and Lagos with banners demanding the quick release of suspended Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele.
Afunanya said, “The groups intend to gather at different points in Abuja and Lagos with placards depicting the Service and the Federal Government in bad light as well as calling for the immediate release of Emefiele.
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“The Service therefore warns those behind this plot to desist forthwith. Meanwhile the service says it has granted the family of Emefiele, medical officials and appropriate persons access to him, right from the day he was taken in and obtained a court order to do so.
“The Service implements Standards Operating Procedures on Suspect Handling and Investigation professionally.”
We learned earlier this week that Emefiele named Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as an accomplice in the Naira redesign scheme that shook the country a few months ago.
On Thursday, we learned that Emefiele, who is being held by the country’s secret police, the Department of State Services, was the reason the embattled EFCC chairman was also invited and imprisoned.
On Wednesday night, news outlets reported that the DSS summoned Bawa to its headquarters at 9:02 p.m.
He was then interrogated by covert police personnel.
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This came just hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him indefinitely.
Bawa’s invitation and questioning by the DSS occurred just days after Emefiele was detained and flown from Lagos to Abuja for questioning about alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Newsmen had learned that Emefiele and Bawa, who were both being interrogated, were being questioned on a variety of matters, including the Naira redesign scam.
On November 23, 2022, Emefiele and then-President Muhammadu Buhari revealed new naira notes in denominations of N200, N500, and N1,000. Emefiele stated that the old notes would be rendered ineffective on January 31, 2023.
Addressing journalists after the event, Emefiele emphasized that the move was not directed at anyone, despite allegations that it was pushed by the Presidency cabal in order to prevent Bola Tinubu, the then-presidential candidate, of the ruling All Progressives Congress from winning the February 25, 2023 election.
The strategy produced great misery for Nigerians due to a scarcity of naira notes, with the CBN failing to match the demand for fresh notes. The approach resulted in a cash shortage and long lines at banks and ATMs.
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Tinubu suspended Bawa indefinitely on Wednesday, saying it would allow for a thorough inquiry into his conduct while in office in light of “weighty allegations” of abuse of office leveled against him.
Nigerians faced tremendous difficulties with the Naira redesign and paperless policy in February and March due to a paucity of new Naira notes.
To make matters worse, Emefiele had previously refused to comply with a Supreme Court judgment that declared the old notes lawful tender until December 31, after which former President Buhari withdrew himself from the disobedience to the court order.
We previously reported that Emefiele had been suspended “due to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy,” according to a statement issued by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The DSS sought to arrest Emefiele in February, but the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, sheltered him by deploying soldiers to guard his apartment and office.
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The DSS had stated that it has increased its investigations in order to apprehend and prosecute Emefiele on terrorism financing and fraud charges.
In February, it was also reported that new court records received from the DSS charged Emefiele for sponsoring “unknown gunmen” terrorizing the country’s Southeast region.
According to the DSS probe, the apex bank governor supported the organisations using cash raised for his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2022 and misused public funds.
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