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About 60 constitutional and human right lawyers, yesterday, commenced contempt charge against Director General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The charge bordered on alleged disobedience to multiple judgments and orders of court directing the release of suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, from the agency’s custody.
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The charge also seeks to commit Bichi to prison, in line with provisions of the law on violation of lawful order of a competent court.
The lawyers, led by Maxwell Opara and Abdulazeez Ahmed Tijani, prayed the court to commit Bichi to prison, until he purges himself of contempt.
In their motion filed before the court for issuance of Form 48 and Form 49, needed to commence proceedings to commit a contemnor to prison, the lawyers said, following judgments and orders by Justice M. A. Hassan, Justice Hamza Muazu and Justice Bello Kawu, the DG DSS ought to have released Emefiele from detention.
In an affidavit in support of the application, the lawyers deposed to the fact that Hassan restrained the respondents, particularly, the DSS, from arresting, detaining or interrogating Emefiele for offences connected to terrorism financing, money laundering, round tripping, and financial crimes of national security dimension, among others.
They said despite clear and positive orders of Hassan, DSS still went ahead to arrest and detain Emefiele, and has held him for over a month, while shopping for evidence.
Addressing newsmen after filing their processes at the registry of the court, Opara said the group will pursue the matter to logical conclusion and ensure Bichi is sent to prison, to serve as deterrent to other heads of security agencies and top government officials.
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