CBN Gov. Emefiele returns to work following a vacation

In a similar vein, the Department of State (DSS) claimed on Monday that none of its agents “invaded” the CBN headquarters or detained the head of the top bank.

After taking his yearly holiday overseas, Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), returned to work on Monday.

Osita Nwanisobi, Director of Corporate Communications at CBN, said this in a statement.

The first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the year is slated for January 23–24, 2023. “The top bank governor resumed his responsibilities with renewed vigor,” according to the announcement.

“Mr. Emefiele remains dedicated to carrying out the task at hand in accordance with his oath of office and President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy direction.”

DSS: Emefiele was not arrested.

In a similar vein, the Department of State (DSS) claimed on Monday that none of its agents “invaded” the CBN headquarters or detained the head of the top bank.

READ ALSO: Human rights organization: If the DSS arrests Emefiele, it will belittle Buhari and the judiciary

The Department of State Services (DSS) has been alerted about a hoax report circulating that its agents broke into the Central Bank of Nigeria and detained its governor today, 16/1/23. The DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, issued a statement calling this fake news and seriously misleading.

The DSS tried to have Emefiele arrested in an Abuja court for allegedly funding terrorism and committing economic crimes against national security, but Justice Maryam Hassan of the Federal Capital Territory High Court Abuja stopped them.

The judgement therefore prohibited the DSS from holding, inviting, or arresting Emefiele, describing the DSS’s accusations of terrorism against the CBN governor as vengeful, tyrannical, void, and of no force.

Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) had pleaded with the secret police to abide by the court’s ruling and refrain from detaining the head of the national bank. Femi Falana (SAN), a lawyer for human rights, said on Sunday Politics on Channels TV that the DSS does not need a court order to hold the CBN governor if it has solid evidence against him.

He said that Nigeria’s constitution does not give the head of the top bank immunity.

The accusations made against Emefiele by the DSS, according to Falana, are embarrassing and can only occur in a country like the Banana Republic, where the governor of the top bank is charged with a serious crime like financing terrorism.

“Has the government considered the significant impact that a wanted central bank governor would have on the economy?”

The top attorney remarked, “I am very astounded that the President of the country has not intervened, either to call Mr. Emefiele to return to the country or be sacked.”

Falana stressed that the charge of financing terrorism against Emefiele should not be brushed off.