Further information has surfaced regarding the arrest of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), by the Department of State Services (DSS).
After his arrest on Friday evening, Emefiele was flown from Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by the DSS.
According to a reliable source, the embattled CBN governor was apprehended by the DSS while attempting to flee Nigeria through the land border in Lagos. “Emefiele has been flown from Lagos to Abuja after the DSS arrested him. He was fleeing through the land border when he was arrested. He was arrested last night in Lagos,” the source revealed.
Emefiele’s arrest coincided with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of him from office with immediate effect.
SaharaReporters had previously reported that Emefiele was suspended due to an ongoing investigation into his office and planned reforms in the financial sector. This information was disclosed in a statement by Willie Bassey, the Director of Information for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
“Mr. Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of investigation and the reforms,” the statement further explained.
In February, we reported on the DSS’s attempted arrest of Emefiele, which was thwarted by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor, who provided soldiers to guard his residence and office.
The DSS had previously stated that it was intensifying its investigations to arrest and prosecute Emefiele on allegations of terrorism financing and fraud.
