EMEFIELE’s COURT DRAMA: The Fisticuffs Between DSS And NPS Officials – The Rule Of Force Over The Rule Of Law – Sam Olorunfemi Jr

Nigeria is a country under the rule of law, which the law stipulates that the pronouncements of the competent Court of jurisdiction must be obeyed by citizens, government, and agencies under the government at all levels.

One of the unpalatable events that characterized the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR is insubordination to the rulings, which made many Nigerians term the administration as a government that doesn’t has respect for the rule of law.

In a series of events, the government of Buhari through some agencies countless times flouted the court order, especially the officers of the Department of State Services (DSS).

During the first regime of President Buhari when Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON was in an acting capacity, the officials of DSS laid siege on the National Assembly, which prevented the federal lawmakers from gaining access to the NASS and immediately the barbaric got to the acting President, Osinbanjo, the acting President forthwith gave order that the officials should vacate the premises and sacked the DG of the DSS for the abysmal conduct of his officials as they claimed that they were given a directive to embark on such raucous assignment to the NASS.

Since OBJ’s era, the officials of the DSS have been acting outside the ambit of the law, acting as an agency above the law.

The drama that ensued at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos, over the case of the suspended Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele led to fisticuffs between the officials of the DSS and Nigerian Prison Service officials over whose custody takes the embattled suspended CBN Governor after the court ruling is another displayed of shame and complete insult to judiciary and abidance to the Court judgment.

Recall that last month, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR suspended Mr Emefiele as the CBN Governor and immediately, DSS arrested him over count charges of illegal possession of firearms and financial link to terrorists.

Mr. Godwin Emefiele spent weeks in DSS custody and was finally charged to court and granted bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum by the Federal High Court in Lagos State.

He was granted bail after pleading not guilty to the two counts bordering on the alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition; was ordered to be remanded to the Ikoyi prison till he perfect his ball condition.

The fisticuffs jerked when the officials of the prison service set to take Mr Emefiele to their custody in adherence to the court ruling but were met with heavy resistance from the officials of the DSS who vehemently insisted that Mr Emefiele must be rearrested by them and taken him away with them.

The chaotic scene showed a display of pump action rifles and ammunition against officers of the DSS and NPC over which the agency took possession of Mr. Emefiele.

The pungent drama displayed by the officials of the DSS within the Court premises could be best described as the desecration of the holy temple of the Court and the rule of law, shameful, barbaric, preposterous, flouted the rule of law and siege on our judiciary which must be condemned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and brought to book the DG of the DSS and officers that displayed such animalistic behavior.

DSS is far taking us back to the opaque era of the Abacha’s military regime and this egregious behavior must be vehemently resisted by the government. Over 50 armed DSS laid siege to the Court and they eventually rearrested Godwin Emefiele in intractability to a court order.

President Tinubu must not allow this to be swept under the carpet, as appropriate punishment must be served to the errant DSS officials.

For how long would the DSS officials continue with The Rule Of Force Over The Rule Of Law?