Nothing wrong with Emefiele’s rearrest but… – Bewaji

Former House of Representatives Minority Leader and Human Rights Lawyer, Dr. Wunmi Bewaji, has said there is nothing wrong in the Department of State Service (DSS) re-arresting the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, after he was granted bail in court.

However, he said the DSS did not handle the matter properly without engaging in a fight with the officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS).

Both agencies of government fought at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday after the court granted bail to Emefiele with the NCS officials attempting to take him away but the DSS overpowered them and re-arrested Emefiele.

Speaking on the drama, Bewaji who is the Executive Secretary, Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER), said there was nothing wrong in re-arresting Emefiele but the manner of the arrest was wrong.

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According to him, Emefiele was specifically arrested for illegal gun possession and the DSS might have other pending cases against him which could warrant another arrest.

But he said such a procedure should have been handled without creating a drama in court.

The legal luminary said the drama at the court felt short of inter-agency standard operating procedure which should have been fostered between the DSS and the NCS.

“What happened in court was very primitive. He was arrested for other offences. There is nothing wrong if someone who has been granted bail in respect of one crime being arrested for another crime subsequent to the bail being granted just as there is nothing wrong if a man has been convicted of one crime to be arraigned for another offence.

“This was the case with the famous kidnapper in Lagos, Evans who has been convicted but still being arraigned for other offences. The only thing that is of concern in the Emefiele case is the manner it was handled. There is nothing wrong in arresting him for other offences despite the fact that he has been granted bail for a specific offence. The manner of handling it is what I quarrel with because I believe that both the DSS and Correctional Service by now should have standard operating procedures to handle such a matter.”