The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has described as “despicable”, Tuesday’s scuffle between operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
In a statement released on Wednesday by its President, Yakubu Maikyau, the NBA called on the two agencies to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in the “disgraceful conduct”.
He said the altercation between officers of the two government agencies on the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos is a recipe for anarchy and chaos, adding that it was a “brazen disrespect for the sanctity of the court premises”.
“This incident regrettably is further evidence of the lack of discipline and absence of professionalism that continues to plague key security institutions in Nigeria, which, without doubt, is largely responsible for the limited progress in achieving a coordinated response to security concerns across the country,” the statement partly read.
“The NBA further condemns the brazen disrespect for the sanctity of the court premises. The courts and judicial processes remain the barometer by which the conduct of individuals or agencies of government is gauged in assessing the rule of law.
“The NBA calls on the two agencies to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in this disgraceful conduct. In addition, there is an urgent need for a complete overhaul of the institutions and a total reorientation of the personnel to achieve professionalism and ensure synergy in the discharge of their respective constitutional responsibilities.”
Recall that on Tuesday, the secret police and prison officials caused a stir when they clashed on the court premises over the agency’s decision to take custody of the suspended and embattled apex bank chief after Justice Nicholas Oweibo admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of N20 million.
The judge also ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.
This was after Emefiele, 61, pleaded “not guilty” to the two counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition filed against him by the Federal Government. Emefiele, who was suspended by President Bola Tinubu on June 9, 2023, was arraigned over six weeks after his arrest and detention by the secret police.
