While the Prison Operatives were determined to take Emefiele away to Ikoyi prison, the DSS insisted that they must re-arrest Emefiele because the order is from above.
By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The Department of State Services has rearrested the embattled suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, after a standoff with officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service for at least two hours.
Recall that the Federal High Court granted Emefiele bail in the sum of N20 million and a surety. The court also ruled that Emefiele should remain in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service pending the perfection of his bail.
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But operatives of the DSS milling around the entrance door to the courtroom gave an indication that Emefiele would be re-arrested, especially after they positioned their Security Toyota Hilux jeep right at the entrance of the courtroom.
Sensing the agenda of the men of the secret police, the defendant and his team of lawyers remained seated in the court while the judge tried to prevail on the DSS to allow the defendant to perfect his bail terms instead of re-arresting him.
Officers of the Nigeria Correctional Service, in whose custody the court handed Emefiele, decided to weigh in but were violently resisted by operatives of the DSS. It almost led to an exchange of gunfire between the two government-owned security agencies.
While the Prison Operatives were determined to take Emefiele away to Ikoyi prison, the DSS insisted that they must re-arrest Emefiele because the order is from above.
After two hours of standoff, men of the Nigeria Correctional Service left in humiliation after their commandant was ruffled by the DSS and his jacket torn.
With the coast clear, the DSS entered the courtroom and whisked away Emefiele.