The Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Haliru Nababa, has said the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) never attempted to forcefully abduct former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele from the Correctional Centre at Kuje in Abuja.
Nababa said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions yesterday at the National Assembly in Abuja.
His clarification followed a petition filed by the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, alleging that the EFCC and DSS attempted to forcefully remove Emefiele from custody.
House Committee Chairman Mike Etaba dismissed the petition on the grounds that it was sub judice when it came up yesterday for first hearing.
Also, EFCC’s Director of Legal and Prosecution Department, Silvanus Tahir (SAN), said it was inappropriate to entertain the petition as it bordered on a subsisting court matter.
Nababa, who was represented by the Assistant Controller-General in Charge of Operations, Nwakeze Emmanuel, said;
“As far as we are concerned, we are not aware of any alleged attempt to forcefully release Emefiele. He is still in our custody, bubbling.”
Responding, Etaba said;
“This matter is in court. We can’t forge ahead with this matter because it is sub judice to us. This matter is hereby dismissed from this committee.”
Tahir had said,
“The petition, which we perused, borders on a pending court case. There is a subsisting criminal charge against Mr. Emefiele on whose behalf the petitioners have petitioned.”
“I am wondering if 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 (SANs), and this petition did not emanate from them.
“In any event, we believe that 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 a 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 bringing it 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 fulfill the bail condition.
“The correctional centre can confirm that he (Emefiele) is in their custody, ostensibly because of the reason of non-fulfillment of the bail condition.”