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December 27, 2022
Leading the campaign is Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of the President, multiple sources told SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari is said to be under pressure from his associates to prevent the arrest of Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Leading the campaign is Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of the President, multiple sources told SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
Daura, a former journalist is an integral member of the 'Cabal', a group of influential individuals around Buhari, who help him make key decisions.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero; Emir of Bichi, Nasir Ado Bayero whose daughter is married to Yusuf, the only son of the President and some other first-class monarchs have been working “round the clock to see how they can convince the President and DG of the SSS (State Security Service also known as DSS) to back out of their drive to arrest and prosecute Emefiele.”
“Mamman Daura, Emir of Kano, Emir of Bichi, and many of the kings are working round the clock to see how they can convince the President and DG SSS to back out of their drive to try him.
“Governor (Nasir) El-Rufai and many other governors that benefited from the usual loan from CBN are also working round the clock to stop his arrest,” one of the sources added.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported at the weekend how Emefiele secretly returned to Nigeria last Wednesday from the United States and presently hiding in Abuja.
“Emefiele is in Abuja. He arrived (from the US) on Wednesday,” a source had said.
SaharaReporters also reported that DSS operatives were on the lookout for the CBN governor after an order to arrest him on sight was given.
Two DSS officials familiar with Emefiele’s matter had confirmed that the domestic intelligence office of the secret police had deployed several officers to monitor the CBN Headquarters, Emefiele’s family residence in Lagos and the Abuja home of businessman Christopher Emefiele, unrelated by blood, according to People’s Gazette.
SaharaReporters had also reported that there were strong indications on Thursday that Emefiele was under intense pressure from some of the country‘s power brokers to resign.
One of the sources close to the apex governor confided in SaharaReporters that he was living in fear of being arrested by the DSS.
The DSS recently accused Emefiele of aiding and abetting acts of terrorism.
The security agency said the CBN governor was allegedly involved in the funding of international and local terrorism.
It said preliminary investigation revealed various acts of terrorism financing, fraudulent activities perpetrated by Emefiele and his involvement in economic crimes of national security dimension.
A Federal High Court in Abuja however refused to issue an arrest warrant to the secret police to arrest the apex bank governor.
On Wednesday, despite his secret arrival, the CBN said Emefiele would not appear before the House of Representatives on Thursday as scheduled.
In a letter addressed to the House and read by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, during plenary, the apex bank said the governor was not yet back in the country because he was attending to an official engagement and health challenges abroad.
“Emefiele has refused to return to Nigeria claiming heart ailment. He was supposed to return Nigeria yesterday after travelling with Buhari to the US-Africa Leadership Summit in Washington DC,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
“He ought to have returned yesterday but told CBN board he will return today. We learnt that his people loyal to him at the DSS advised him not to come yet because he may be arrested.
“Upon arrival later, he might go on leave until things die down or he resigns under pressure.”