The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been accused of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by the State Security Service (SSS), the notorious intelligence agency that has been used by successive Nigerian governments to suppress dissent and opposition.
The charges are seen by many as a desperate attempt by the Tinubu administration to nail the former CBN chief, who had been suspended and detained since June 9, 2023, on allegations of terrorism and corruption.
Emefiele, who served as the CBN governor from 2014 to 2023, was one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s economic and political landscape. He was known for his interventionist monetary policy, which aimed to defend the Nigerian naira from devaluation and inflation by injecting billions of dollars into the foreign exchange market.
He also introduced a multiple exchange rate regime to manage the demand and supply of foreign currency in the country.
His policies were controversial and often criticised by economists, analysts and opposition parties, who accused him of mismanaging the country’s resources and undermining its fiscal stability.
Emefiele’s downfall began when he challenged Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State and leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), for the party’s presidential ticket in 2022.
Tinubu, who had been grooming himself for the presidency for years, saw Emefiele as a threat and mobilised his loyalists to ensure his victory at the party’s national convention in June 2022. Emefiele lost the nomination and was sidelined by Tinubu, who went on to win the presidential election in February 2023 amid allegations of rigging and violence.
As soon as Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he fired Emefiele and ordered his arrest on charges of terrorism and corruption.
He accused Emefiele of sponsoring terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to destabilise his government and undermine national security.
He also alleged that Emefiele had embezzled billions of naira from the CBN and transferred them to foreign accounts. Emefiele denied all the allegations and maintained his innocence.
However, Tinubu’s attempts to prosecute Emefiele met with legal obstacles, as several courts ruled that his arrest and detention were unlawful and unconstitutional.
The courts ordered his immediate release and granted him bail, but the SSS refused to comply with the court orders.
The SSS also ignored calls from human rights activists, civil society groups and international organisations, who condemned Emefiele’s detention as a violation of his fundamental rights and a sign of Tinubu’s authoritarian tendencies.
In a bid to find a way to keep Emefiele behind bars, the SSS filed new charges against him on July 13, 2023, claiming that they had found an unlicensed shotgun and 123 bullets in his possession.
The charges were based on the Firearms Act 2004 Nigeria , which regulates the possession and dealing of firearms and ammunition by civilians.
The Act prohibits anyone from having a firearm or ammunition without a licence or permit from the president or the inspector general of police . The Act also prescribes penalties for offences relating to firearms and ammunition, such as robbery, illegal possession, sheltering and receiving .
The SSS alleged that they had recovered the weapons from Emefiele’s home in Ikoyi, Lagos, on June 15, 2023.
However, this claim raised questions about the credibility and timing of their discovery, as Emefiele had been arrested on June 9, 2023, and had been held in Abuja ever since. A spokesman for the SSS did not explain how they found arms in Emefiele’s possession a week after his arrest in another city.
Many observers have dismissed the charges as fabricated and politically motivated, pointing out that they were brought by the same agency that had been defying court orders to release Emefiele.
They have also accused Tinubu of using double standards in his fight against illegal firearms, noting that he had ignored Ibikunle Amosun , a former governor of Ogun State and a member of his party, who was exposed for illegally stockpiling firearms and ammunition during his tenure as governor.
Amosun, who served as Ogun governor from 2011 to 2019, was caught with 1,000 AK-47 rifles and four million rounds of live ammunition during a period of rampant armed banditry, abductions and political assassinations.
He reportedly handed over some of the weapons to the police after leaving office , but he was never charged or prosecuted for his illegal possession and use of firearms. Amosun, who is now a senator, was one of Tinubu’s supporters at the APC national convention in 2022.
Emefiele’s case has highlighted the growing concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in Nigeria under Tinubu’s regime.
Many Nigerians have expressed their solidarity with Emefiele and demanded his unconditional release and fair trial. They have also called for an end to the abuse of power and the selective application of the law by the government.
They have urged Tinubu to respect the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, and to focus on addressing the economic and security challenges facing the country.
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