Fakoyejo OlalekanThe Department of State Services (DSS) has criticised counsel to IPOB/ESN, Maxwell Okpara, for defending the prosecution of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
In a statement released by the DSS on Tuesday via its Twitter account, the security agency said Okpara is uninformed, acting in bad faith and transferring aggression.
DSS questioned if the “Biafran Republic agitator and Outlawed IPOB counsel” is defending Emefiele, alleging the suspended CBN governor is one of them.
“Charge and bail, overzealous uninformed IPOB/ESN lawyer Maxwell Okpara mobilises other like minded lawyers against DGSS. Futile Efforts. Well, Nigerians, beware! This is in bad faith. Transferred aggression.
“A Biafran Republic agitator and Outlawed IPOB counsel defending the suspended CBN Governor. Is IPOB defending one of theirs???? What a contradiction…..hmmm…what’s the connection? Is someone telling us something? May Maxwell be properly educated on points of law, please,” the statement reads.
Recall that Emefiele was arrested on June 9 after he was suspended by President Bola Tinubu amid an investigation into his nine years tenure as CBN governor and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.
Since his arrest, Emefiele has been in the custody of the DSS without a charge. He challenged his continuous detention last week, and Justice Bello Kawu, on 14 July, ordered the DSS to either release him or charge the former CBN chief to court.
Three days after, the DSS revealed that Emefiele has finally been charged with two counts of illegal possession of a firearm.
He was accused of owning an illegal shotgun and had 123 ammunition for the unlicensed pistol in his possession, which were found at Emefiele’s home in Ikoyi, on June 15.
Note that before his arrest last month, the DSS had attempted to charge him for terrorism financing and fraud in February during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
DSS’s attempt to arrest him was foiled by soldiers deployed to Emefiele’s house and office by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.
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