ABUJA, Nigeria – The Department of State Services, DSS, in Nigeria has confirmed that the recently suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is now in its custody.
This revelation was made public in a statement issued via the agency’s Twitter handle on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
The statement read, “The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby confirms that Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is now in its custody for some investigative reasons.”
PRESS RELEASE
EMEFIELE, NOW IN DSS CUSTODY
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.
— PN Afunanya PhD (@DrAfunanya_PNA) June 10, 2023
Without providing details of the investigation, the DSS urged the media to exercise caution when reporting on the case, stating, “The public, particularly the media, is enjoined to apply utmost caution in the reportage and narratives concerning this.”
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Following his suspension, Emefiele was instructed to hand over his duties to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), Adebisi Shonubi, who will serve as the acting CBN governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the initiation of reforms.
Late on Friday, unconfirmed reports began to circulate suggesting that operatives of the DSS had arrested the suspended CBN governor.
However, the spokesman for the DSS, Peter Afunaya, has now confirmed that Emefiele is indeed in the agency’s custody.
The DSS has yet to disclose the reasons for Emefiele’s detention, and the specific allegations against him remain unclear.
This unexpected development comes at a crucial time for Nigeria’s economy, with concerns around inflation, currency stability, and financial reforms.
Denies Detaining Suspended Central Bank Governor Emefiele
In response to rumors suggesting that suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is being detained, the Department of State Services, DSS, has categorically denied the allegations, stating that the top banker is not in their custody.
The DSS’s spokesman, Dr. Peter Afunanya, clarified the situation in a mail sent to Vanguard on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
ALSO READ: President Tinubu Suspends Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele
Disputing claims that Emefiele had been arrested by the secret police, Afunanya stated unequivocally: “Currently, Emefiele is not with the DSS.”
The supposed arrest of Emefiele, which came shortly after his suspension from office by President Bola Tinubu, had been widely reported by some online media outlets, causing a stir among the public and further contributing to speculation and conjecture.
The reasons for the DSS’s supposed interest in Emefiele earlier in the year remain unclear, and there are currently no confirmations whether he has been invited to appear before the DSS.
As it stands, the DSS insists that Emefiele is not in their custody. Further developments in this situation are eagerly awaited.
