Human Rights Lawyers under the aegis of Lawyers in Defence of Democracy have condemned the Director General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi over assault on judiciary, attack on lawyers, prison officials, media in a bid to stop prison officials from carrying out their job of taking suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele into custody as ordered by court.
The lawyers also condemned the rearrest of Emefiele by the operatives of the secret police after the physical fight with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
On Tuesday, The secret police and prison officials clashed over the move by the agency to take custody of the suspended and embattled apex bank chief after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20 million.
The Judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions. Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to abduct him to their detention centre. When the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a fight. Eventually the operatives of the secret police took custody of Emefiele after a physical fight with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Reacting to the rogue, tasteless behaviour by the DSS, the lawyers in a statement by its leader Barr. Okere Kingdom called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prove that he has regard for the rule of law by suspending and ordering the arrest of the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi.
The lawyers insisted that the DSS doesn’t have the constitutional backing to rearrest Emefiele, until he perfects his bail conditions.
The statement reads, “This constant assault on the judiciary by the DSS is totally unacceptable. We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prove that he has regard for the rule of law by suspending and ordering the arrest of the DSS Director General, Yusuf Bichi, for violation of multiple judgments and orders of court on the release of suspended chairman of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, from the custody of the agency.
“What played out at the court today is unacceptable, Bichi needs to be arrested and sent to prison. The secret police has made a habit of continuously disrespecting the rule of law. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should save democracy and image of the judiciary by immediately ordering the arrest of DSS DG.”
