Godwin Emefiele may have ties to the separatist organisation Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), according to suggestions made on Tuesday by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), the country’s secret police.
Emefiele’s appointment as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was postponed in January by President Bola Tinubu.
Following a court ruling that invalidated the DSS’s custody of the former CBN governor, the Nigerian government last week accused him with illegally possessing guns.
The DSS said on Tuesday that Emefiele being represented by the same attorney as IPOB suggests a relationship with the outlawed separatist organisation, despite the fact that his arrest and incarceration are being fought in court.
The DSS claims that Maxwell Okpara, one of Emefiele’s solicitors, also represents IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, who is accused of treason and supporting terrorism against the Nigerian government.
The suspended CBN Governor is being defended by “A Biafran Republic agitator and Outlawed IPOB counsel,” the DSS tweeted.
Is IPOB standing up for one of its own? What a paradox. I wonder how they are related. Are they trying to tell us something? Please educate Maxwell adequately on legal matters. Here is a copy of the tweet.
“Charge and bail; overzealous, ignorant IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara rallies other like-minded attorneys against DGSS. Wasted Resources. Nigerians, take caution! This is done with malice. aggressive gearbox. Here is a copy of the tweet.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja declared Emefiele’s arrest, imprisonment, and questioning by the DSS invalid four days ago.
The arrest, custody, and questioning of Emefiele, according to the presiding judge Justice Bello Kawu, were in contravention of the orders and ongoing judgement of Justice M. A. Hassan.
The release of Emefiele from DSS custody was also mandated by the court.
In response to the most recent decision, Counsel for Emefiele said that Nigerians should rejoice that despite several acts of intimidation by security forces and certain poor working circumstances, Nigerian judges are courageous to administer justice without regard to whose ox is gored.