The Department of State Services (DSS) appears poised to go after some of the top directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a fallout of the on-going investigation of the suspended Governor of the apex bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

This is according to a PUNCH report quoting unnamed sources at the Nigerian secret police.

“Other top directors of the CBN might also be arrested or invited for questioning over their roles in the administration of the apex bank,” the report published this Saturday morning said.

Emefiele, according to Saturday PUNCH, “is currently undergoing interrogation at the secret police’s headquarters in Abuja for alleged terrorism financing, economic sabotage, mismanagement of forex and the naira redesign policy, among others.”

“The secret police similarly accused Emefiele of mismanaging the CBN subsidiary, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, and the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

“It was learnt that the DSS might revisit the criminal charges it earlier filed against Emefiele, which bordered on terrorism financing and fraud,” the paper said.

“Meanwhile, Emefiele’s passport has been confiscated, while his home and office may be searched by operatives during the week,” Saturday PUNCH quoted DSS sources as revealing.

“Emefiele’s travel document will be confiscated as part of the standard process pending the conclusion of our investigation. Also, as part of the investigation, his house and office will be searched for documents that can aid the ongoing investigation on his management of the CBN,” the paper quoted a DSS source as saying.

The embattled Emefiele has spent seven nights in detention and has not been charged to court or allowed access to his family or lawyers. His quest for freedom saw him filling a suit before Justice Hamza Muazu of the FCT High Court, who yesterday ordered the DSS to allow him access to his lawyers and family members in keeping with his constitutional right.

Emefiele was arrested by the DSS exactly a week ago, a day after his suspension by President Bola Tinubu. His suspension was announced via a statement signed by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, which said:

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, CFR, from office with immediate effect,

“This is a sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.

“Mr Emefiele has been directed to immediately hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate) [Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi], who will act as the Central Bank Governor pending the conclusion of the investigation and the reforms.”

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