CG NCS Denies Attempted Abduction Of Emefiele

By Oduyemi Odumade

The Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS, Haliru Nababa, has denied that the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, attempted to forcefully abduct Former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, from custody of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Kuje, Abuja.

He said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, following a petition by the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency alleging that the EFCC and DSS attempted to forcefully remove Emefiele from custody.

Chairman of the Committee, Mike Etaba, however dismissed the petition on the grounds that it was subjudiced, when it came on for first hearing.

This was as the Director Legal and Prosecution Department of EFCC, Sylvanus Tahir, said it was inappropriate to entertain the petition as it bordered a subsisting court matter.

Nababa, who was represented by the Assistant Controller-General in Charge of Operations, Nwakeze Emmanuel, said they were not aware of any alleged attempt to forcefully release Emefiele as he is still in custody.

The Committee Chairman who said the matter is in court and the committee can not entertain it thereafter dismissed the matter.

Earlier, EFCC’s legal representative, Tahir, had said, the petition which was perused, borders on a pending court case.

“There is a subsisting criminal charge against Mr Godwin Emefiele on whose behalf the petitioners have petitioned. I am wondering whether it is appropriate given the fact that it borders on a subsisting court matter for this committee to by way of public hearing delve into the matter more so that Mr Emefiele is ably represented by very senior lawyers in this matter including senior advocates of Nigeria and this petition did not emanate from them and in any event, we believe if the allegations have substance as the petitioners would want this committee to believe it would have been ventilated before the honourable court before which this case is pending because they are alleging case of contempt”.

“If it is a case of contempt as it is being alleged, I thought the appropriate forum to ventilate that issue should be before the honourable court other than before this committee given the sub judice nature of this case.

“The court made an order admitting him to bail on conditions which to the best of our knowledge is yet to fulfil the bail condition.

“The correctional centre can confirm that he, Emefiele is in their custody ostensibly because of the reason of non-fulfilment of the bail condition.”

Edited By Grace Namiji