The Department of State Services has seized the travel passport of the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, reports claim.
As part of the corruption investigation, the secret service will search his home and office next week for more pieces of evidence.
The DSS confirmed that Emefiele was in its custody on Saturday after President Bola Tinubu ordered his suspension from office to allow for his investigation.
“Of course, Emefiele’s travel document would be confiscated as part of the standard process pending the conclusion of our investigation. Also, as part of the investigation, his house and office would be searched for documents that can aid the ongoing investigation on his management of the CBN,” a DSS source told Nigerian newspaper, Punch.
Chronicle NG reported that the DSS did not give details about his arrest and subsequent questioning but the Service stated that he was in custody for “investigative reasons“.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, in a statement on Sunday, argued that Emefiele should be in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crime Commissions for economic crimes and not the DSS.
“In the case of Dr. Bukola Saraki v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2018) 16 NWLR (pt. 1646) 433-434, the supreme court ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission lacks the vires to investigate and prosecute the appellant for the breach of the provisions of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act. It was for that principal reason that Senator Saraki was freed by the apex court.
“In line with the principle of law enunciated by the apex court in Saraki’s case, the SSS lacks the power to investigate and prosecute Mr. Emefiele in respect of allegations of money laundering and other economic crimes.
“Therefore, after investigating the alleged involvement of Mr. Emefiele in terrorism financing, the SSS should transfer him to the EFCC for the purpose of investigating the allegations of money laundering and allied offences. Otherwise, the investigation of the case will be bungled by the SSS!” Falana added.
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