The Department of State Services (DSS) might conduct searches at the residence and office of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, as part of their ongoing investigation, according to a DSS source.
The source that spoke with the News agency revealed that Emefiele “may not be released anytime soon.”
According to the source, Emefiele “has been on the watch list of the service for long,” and his arrest signifies an escalation in the DSS’s pursuit.
The source said, “He (Emefiele) has been on the watch list of the service for a long, now that he has been arrested, he will be spending the night in custody at our headquarters and may not be released anytime soon. There is also the likelihood of his residence and office being searched in furtherance of the service’s investigation.”
The DSS had previously attempted to obtain a warrant for Emefiele’s arrest but failed to provide sufficient evidence to convince the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho.
The DSS’s investigation into Emefiele includes allegations of terrorism financing, mismanagement of Nigeria’s social investment program, and the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme, among other things.
In the meantime, the Maitama, FCT residence of the suspended CBN boss was conspicuously empty on Saturday.
Reporters on the scene from noon till around 3 pm did not see any security operatives or significant activity around the compound.
While the CBN headquarters remained under the watch of its own security personnel, there were no signs of the DSS, contradicting earlier events this year when a team of policemen were seen at Emefiele’s home and DSS operatives reportedly invaded the CBN office.
