By Ayo Yusuf
After a free for all fight in which a senior official of the Nigeria Correctional Services, NCS, was reportedly beaten up by officers of the Department of State Security, DSS, the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele is back in the custody of the DSS.
Moments earlier the Federal High Court in Lagos had granted Mr. Emefiele bail after he pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal firearms possession.
The government had fought against the bail on the grounds that it was not served papers of the bail hearing but the judge ruled that the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, was duly served and granted bail to Mr. Emefiele in the sum of N20m and one surety in like sum.
Justice Nicolas Oweibo also signed a warrant for Mr. Emefiele’s remand at Ikoyi prison, Lagos, pending when he perfects his bail.
However, outside the court as prison officials mobilized to take Mr. Emefiele with them, heavily armed DSS officers refused to allow the court order to be fully executed.
A serious altercation ensued between the officials of both agencies of government during which an unidentified high ranking NCS official seriously beaten up and arrested by DSS officials who seemed to have mobilised more men to counter the attempt by prison authorities to take custody of Mr. Emefiele.
Lawyers and journalists covering the case scampered to safety to avoid being assaulted by DSS officials who had positioned their men in strategic positions in the court premises to prevent Mr. Emefiele from being taken out of the court.
Shortly after the fight, a senior female DSS official arrived at the court and had a brief chat with prison officials who later vacated the court and left Mr. Emefiele in DSS custody.
Attempts to speak to the senior prisons official who was assaulted was rebuffed by him as he left the premises with his colleagues.
As the prison vehicles drove off, DSS operatives positioned their two Hilux pick-up vans strategically, while its operatives massed outside the courtroom.
