SaharaReporters had also on Tuesday reported that President Muhammadu Buhari was under pressure from his associates to prevent the arrest of Emefiele by the DSS.
Governor Godwin Emefiele of the Central Bank of Nigeria may have concluded plans to return to the United Kingdom over developing threats of arrest and probe from the Department of State Services (DSS) amid seeming reluctance by the Presidency to wade into the matter.
“Since it is now looking impossible for him to return to Nigeria, the next move is to file for asylum in the UK,” a source under anonymity told The Gazette. “The UK is his first option for asylum, but he has not ruled out the United States, either.”
Emefiele departed on December 26 for the United States, where he remained as of Friday morning. It was unclear when he planned to return to the UK, but his strong family ties to Britain were said to be behind his decision to pursue asylum there.
SaharaReporters had also on Tuesday reported that President Muhammadu Buhari was under pressure from his associates to prevent the arrest of Emefiele by the DSS.
Leading the campaign was 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 had also 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.”
SaharaReporters had reported on Thursday that a Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja issued an order restraining the DSS from arresting Emefiele.
The ruling, delivered by Justice M.A. Hassan on Thursday, also applies to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Attorney-General of The Federation (AGF), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the CBN, who are listed as defendants.
The court had declared that the “continuous harassments, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of right of Office, surreptitious moves to arrest, and humiliation of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria over trumped up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices, etc by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents and their officers is vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive, oppressive and same constitute a flagrant breach of his rights to personal liberty, dignity of human person, right to policy making powers freedom of thought, conscience and religion and movement as respectively provided and enshrined under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act AND, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal”.
It also declared that “in view of the Ruling of the Honourable Justice Tsoho sitting at the Federal High Court Maitama, in State Security Services (SSS) v Mr. Godwin Emefiele Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 delivered on 15th December, 2022 any continuous harassments, intimidation, threats, restriction of free movement, abuse of right of Office, surreptitious moves to arrest, and humiliation of Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria over trumped up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices, etc by the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents and their officers is vindictive, unwarranted, abrasive, oppressive…”
The court further declared that “any form of invitation to Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria in the exercise of his statutory powers, functions and duties and continuous threats by the 4th Respondents to surrender his powers to them over trumped-up allegations of terrorism financing and fraudulent practices, etc constitute a flagrant breach of his rights to personal liberty, dignity of human person, right to policy making powers freedom of thought, conscience and religion and movement as respectively provided and enshrined under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act and, therefore, unconstitutional and illegal.”
Prior to his latest trip, Emefiele had received presidential approval to proceed on vacation until January 9, 2023, according to internal conversation obtained by The Gazette.
That date is now seen as the most crucial for the CBN governor and even the president himself, sources said.
“January 9 to 10 will be the most critical period for everyone involved in this matter,” another source familiar with the matter said. “It is the date that the governor must be at his desk; the date that the president will have to take a decision if the governor fails to show up at the office.”
“So that is why I said it is an important day for both the governor and the president,” the source said.
Yet, Emefiele continues to hold that only the president holds the power to make all the threats disappear overnight.
“The governor is absolutely sure that only the president can call everyone behind this senseless assault to order,” the second source added.
While Emefiele would be willing to return to Nigeria if the president could offer protection from state goons at the SSS, only one manner of such guarantees can bring outright security that the CBN chief prefers.
“The president has to intervene and intervene publicly. It is only if he intervenes publicly that the governor can be assured of his safety and economic stability can be restored.”
“Even if the SSS DG calls the governor and assures him he won’t be arrested, it won’t be enough,” the official said. “But either a public announcement of the SSS or, preferably, the president that the governor will not be arrested can be taken seriously.”