By Marvellous Nyang
The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the arrest of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The DSS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, June 9, 2023, said, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is now in its custody for some investigative reasons.”
“The public, particularly the Media, is enjoined to apply utmost caution in the reportage and narratives concerning this,” Afunaya said.
Shortly after Afunaya’s confirmation, a video circulated online showing the embattle suspended CBN Governor being driven to the airport inside a Hilux Toyota truck by operatives of the DSS, where he highlighted to board a private jet en route to Abuja after his arrest from his Lagos home.
The confirmation came from the secret police hours after it earlier denied reports that Emefiele was in its custody.
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As the reports of Emiefele’s arrest widely circulated online after his suspension on Friday, Afunanya on Saturday morning in a brief statement said, “Currently, Emefiele is not with the DSS.”
Recalled, the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Willie Bassey, had, in a statement on Friday, announced Emefiele’s suspension.
The statement read, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, CFR, from office with immediate effect. This is a sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy,” the statement said.
“Mr Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate) [Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi], who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms.”
