Emefiele: DSS arrests Obiora, CBN Deputy Gov

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A Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Obiora, in charge of economic policy, has been arrested by the Department of State Service, DSS, on Friday.

Indications are that his arrest is not unconnected with the ongoing trial of the suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who has been accused of financial mismanagement.

Obiora, who resumed as a Deputy Governor of the CBN on March 2, 2020, is sought as a critical witness against Emefiele.

Several attempts to confirm the arrest of Obiora from the Spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, were unsuccessful as he did not pick up his call or respond to WhatsApp and SMS messages sent to his mobile line.

On June 10, 2023, Emefiele was arrested after President Bola Tinubu suspended him on Friday, June 9, as the CBN governor.

Emefiele’s arrest was, however, confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Peter Afunaya, in a tweet posted on its official Twitter handle on Saturday, June 10.

President Tinubu had suspended Emefiele shortly after assuming office and directed him to hand over the affairs of his office to the deputy governor operations directorate, Folashodun Shonubi.

The secret police did not initially give reasons why Emeiele was arrested.

However, the DSS finally arraigned him for alleged illegal gun possession before the Federal High Court in Lagos on July 25.

He was arraigned on two counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo, however, released him on a N20 million bail bond, with one surety in the like sum.

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, August 15, filed fresh charges against the suspended apex bank chief in Abuja after rearresting him at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

He faces fresh charges filed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.