The Department of State Services (DSS) has refuted claims that the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, is in their custody.
In a statement released via their official Twitter handle on Saturday, the agency clarified Emefiele’s whereabouts.
The tweet from the DSS read, “Currently, Emefiele is not with the DSS.” This announcement comes in response to unconfirmed reports that emerged late on Friday, suggesting that operatives of the DSS had arrested the suspended CBN governor.
President Bola Tinubu took decisive action on Friday night, suspending Emefiele from his position as the governor of the CBN with immediate effect.
The suspension was followed by a directive for Emefiele to hand over the affairs of his office to the Deputy Governor (Operations Directorate), who will act as the interim CBN governor during the investigation and reform process.
The spokesperson for the DSS, Peter Afunaya, stated that he could not confirm the arrest of Godwin Emefiele when contacted by journalists.
With the DSS explicitly denying his custody, it remains unclear whether Emefiele is facing any other form of investigation or if the reports of his arrest were based on misinformation.
The suspension of the CBN governor has sparked widespread speculation and discussions within the financial and political spheres. The reasons behind the suspension and the nature of the investigation have not been disclosed publicly at this time.
