Omoyele Sowore, human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) has stated that the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government would not prosecute the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele for his sundry crimes because of all the other top personalities involved.
Sowore on Saturday noted that if Emefiele was to be tried for his real offences, former president, Muhammadu Buhari, many All Progressive Congress stakeholders, governors, senators and other high profile personalities in the country would all go down with him.
Sowore described the continued detention of Emefiele by the Department of State Security(DSS) as a means of holding to favour those in power.
The human rights activist added that the DSS would be applying the same method they used for a former National Security Officer, Sambo Dasuki in 2015 to bury Emefiele’s criminal offences.
Sowore said, “For those who may not be familiar with the modus of the @OfficialDSSNG, holding former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele had nothing to do with the gravity of his high crimes, the game is to hold him on behalf of those in power. If Emefiele was to be prosecuted for his real financial crimes, economic sabotage, money laundering and terrorism financing involvement, FX round tripping etc… he would take down with him Muhammadu Buhari, his entire family, in-laws, members of his inner circle, lots of All Progressives Congress leaders, state governors, Senators, media practitioners, military and police top brass and even people in @OfficialDSSNG, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as “civil society” leaders. A lot would come crashing down. Right now negotiations are ongoing, this is just the “holding charge” before they let him go, if he plays ball!
“These bogey of a charge is similar to how they started with former NSA Col. Sambo Dasuki, he was first charged with illegal possession of firearms, precisely in August of 2015! The rest is now history. #Revolutionnow,” Sowore added.
PurpleWorld had reported that the Federal Government had filed a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against Emefiele at the Federal High Court in Lagos Division.
This was seen in a copy of the charge sheet dated 13/7/2023 between Federal Republic of Nigeria and Godwin Emefiele, accusing the suspended apex bank boss of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence.
According to the document, the government maintained that the offence violates Section 4 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28 Laws of the Federation 2004, and is penalised under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.
The former apex bank chief was arrested on June 10, 2023 after he was suspended by President Bola Tinubu.