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Naira Withdrawal Limits Policy: Plot To Frame, Arrest Emefiele On Terrorism Charges Exposed

The plot to frame and arrest the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has been exposed.

Human right lawyers, chairmen of political parties, Civil Society groups, Ethnic Youth Leaders including Arewa Youth Consultative movement operating under the auspices of Coalition of National Interest Defenders, which exposed the alleged plot on Monday, noted that a case has already be filed secretly in court to carry out the arrest.

Addressing a joint world press conference on Monday, the Convener of the Coalition, Tochukwu Ohazuruike said that a motion has been filed in court, accusing CBN governor of terrorism financing and other crimes, a development described as economic crimes of national security dimension.

Ohazuruike said that it has taken “us some time, diligent and careful monitoring and resources to discover that on the 7th December, 2022, a Motion was filed in the FCT High Court with the major target of getting the CBN Governor out of office. The Motion had suit number M/294/2022.”

He noted that on the 7th of December, another Exparte application was secretly filed at the Federal High Court Abuja, with the intention to grant an order to arrest and detain Mr. Emefiele for a minimum of 60 days hiding under section 66 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

“In declining the motion ex parte, filed by an applicant in the absence of the respondent — Justice JT Tsoho, the chief judge, said the secret police did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate its claims that Emefiele was involved in terrorism financing and economic crimes.

“The honourable judge also wondered why the name of the respondent was given simply as ‘Godwin Emefiele’ without a material disclosure that he is the same person as the CBN governor, a highly ranking public official who occupies an extremely sensitive position”, they alleged.

In rejecting the application, they alleged that the court said such an application should have been accompanied with the presidential approval because of the grave implications for the Nigerian economy if the CBN governor is arrested and detained

The groups further said that the plot is to arrest Emefiele and keep him away for at least 60 days in solitary confinement, which will pave way for his forceful removal from office and destabilize the President Buhari backed CBN economic stability and reform efforts especially the new currency redesign and cash withdrawal limit policies, which in the immediate will help achieve President Buhari’s promise of a credible election in 2023.

Challenging the veracity of the claims of the DSS,  the Coalition said if truly the DG SSS believed his claims, he would not have allowed Emefiele anywhere near the President but that by allowing Emefiele travel with the President, it showed the DG DSS did not believe Emefiele was indeed a terrorist and this therefore meant that the claims of the in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022 between State Security Service and Godwin Emefiele was made with the sole purpose of forcefully and wrongfully removing the CBN Governor from office.

Narrating the history of the plot to sack the CBN Governor, the groups said, “Sometime within the first week of this month, we intercepted credible intelligence about a plot at certain high places in government to stop the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele by all means and his policy to redesign the Naira with its January 31st, 2023 deadline and also to put a stop to the cash withdrawal limit policy of the bank scheduled to start on the 9th January, 2023.

“The plotters admitted that their major challenge was that the President had fully approved the policies but agreed that the approval would not deter them. They also agreed that they would not be able to get the President to bring to effect Section 11 (2)(f) of the Central Bank (Establishment) Act.

“They had earlier tried to undermine the President by attempting to amend the CBN Act and the Currency Decimal Act overnight in the House of Representatives but failed.

“While we monitored they began to recruit people to join in their plot. They recruited allies even at the highest level of the security architecture, legislature and executive arm of government of our country. Directly to coordinate this operation of undermining the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a policy publicly known to enjoy the full support and approval of the President is the Director General of the State Security Service.

“Dear Nigerians, on the 7th December, 2022 just 24 hours after the CBN officially announced the cash withdrawal deposit policy, a barrage coordinated actions were taken, all targeted at ensuring that the Mr. Godwin Emefiele was removed from office or ceased to be the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“These activities included activating the filing of cases against the Mr. Emefiele to ensure he ceases to be in office as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria latest by the end of the year as they resolved. 

“We believe that the plot furhter included carrying out of activities which would have put the life and person of Mr. Emefiele in grave danger. The coincidental travel of Mr. Emefiele to the United States of America with President Muhammadu Buhari may have stalled this aspect of the plan.

“It has taken us some time, diligent and careful monitoring and resources to discover that on the said 7th December, 2022, a Motion was filed in the FCT High Court with the major target of getting the CBN Governor out of office. The Motion had suit number M/294/2022

“Now listen careful to this:

“On the same 7th December, 2022 another Exparte application was secretly filed at the Federal High Court Abuja this time directly by the State Security Service. The Suit is between the State Security Service v Godwin Emefiele. Our intelligence which discovered this shocking development showed the suit was filed at the court without disclosing the full identity of Mr. Emefiele to the Court and working on the premise that the court would grant an order for the Service to arrest and detain Mr. Emefiele for a minimum of 60 days hiding under section 66 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022.

“That the State Security Service, an agency of Federal Government secretly approached the Federal High Court Abuja, and filed an exparte application against Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor where they accused him of being a terrorist. 

“It is utterly shocking and shameful for the SSS to fabricate such bogus charges only in a bid to force an innocent man out of office. We have with us the Suit number which at this moment I will read it out, so that Nigerians and Mr. President can send their people to rush to the Federal High Court to get their copies and see this evil with their own eyes, the suit number is FHC/ABJ/CS/2255/2022.”

The groups, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney General of the Federation to set the process in motion to immediately suspend, arrest, investigate and prosecute the DG DSS, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

Meanwhile, protests have hit the streets of Abuja, following the plot against Emiefiele.

The protesters comprising Buhari Legacy Defenders, Arewa Youth Consultative Movement Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Youth Movement, African Centre for Justice and Human Rights, Ethnic youth Leaders Political Parties Chairmen Forum, Lawyers in Defence of Economic rights and Justice, marched to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice where they submitted a petition against the action of the SSS and called for the sack of its DG, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

They also submitted similar letter to the office of the President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, among others.

Reacting to the allegation, the DSS said  it would not succumb to prpropaganda, intimidation and desperation of hirelings to undermine the Service.

A statement by Peter Afunaya, Spokesperson of the Service, warned that it would resist attempt to use falsehood and deceit to misdirect public understanding and perceptions of issues of national importance.

Afunaya said the Service will continue to remain focused and disseminate actionable intelligence to the relevant authorities devoid of any sentiment.

The statement read: “The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to clarify that one of its roles is the investigation of matters of national security dimension. It has always discharged this responsibility in the overall interest of Nigerian citizens. As such, the Service will continue to disseminate actionable intelligence to the relevant authorities devoid of any sentiment.

“While professionally discharging its mandate, the DSS pledges to remain focused and unbiased. It will not, by any means, succumb to propaganda, intimidation and the desperation of hirelings to undermine it. It will also not give room to the use of falsehood and deceit to misdirect public understanding and perceptions of issues of national importance.

“Given not to joining issues, the Service warns those on a wild goose chase to be mindful of their actions.

“Similarly, it urges members of the public to disregard the vituperations and rantings of misguided elements and not allow themselves to be used as instruments of destabilisation.

“Notably, these elements should remember the famous axiom that you will only deceive some people, some of the time, but not all people, all the time.

“To put it succinctly, the Service will not be distracted by persons and/or groups from carrying out its duties to the Nation, citizens, President and Commander-in-Chief. Ctizens are, therefore, urged to avoid being used to thwart or undermine the Service and its lawful investigations as those who wish to act in the breach will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”

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