Reactions have started pouring in over reports that the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor Godwin Emefiele has been charged to court on two-count charges of gun and ammunitions possession.
An associate, who refused to be named, accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of being on a vendetta mission against Emefiele.“They picked the gun and the licences from his house. Because the licence has expired, they are filing a charge to say that the gun was without licence
According to him, “they have nothing on the former governor. Imagine the charge, they arrested him and it’s the gun you found in his house you are charging him for. So, on what grounds did you even arrest him in the first place?”
“That you were tipped off he had a licensed gun (even though they claim it wasn’t licensed but it was).
Another associate told The Nation on Sunday that he was disappointed at what the Federal Government was charging Emefiele with.
He said he expected to hear of serious economic or financial infractions but was sad to hear that it was for gun possession.
According to him, “they can do that but that is not the kind of criminal offence they are giving the impression of to Nigerians”.
Read Also: Emefiele facing gun, ammunition possession charges —Sources
He stated that “talking about financing terrorism, that is the one that is scary to me but if they have the evidence, they should provide it. Is it not because they have arrested him that they went to search his house and everywhere?
“If that is what they are charging him for, that should be a bailable offence not the one they will hold him ad infinitum”.
The associate demanded that the federal government should “provide evidence of why they have terrorised him all these while, stressing that ‘Nigerians are waiting’.
“This issue of gun is secondary finding, they discovered the gun so they must tell Nigerians the actual offenses committed which warranted attempting to disgrace him from office and deprive him of his liberty”.
Professor Uche Uwaleke of Nasarawa State University appealed to the federal government “to as much as possible apply the rule of law. “This is the minimum expectation from investors and foreign development partners who monitor events in the country’s financial system”.