Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, has urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to speed up its investigation into the cases of Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Emefiele was arrested on June 10 by the DSS on charges of terrorism financing, while Bawa was arrested over allegations of abuse of office.
Falana said that the DSS is required to approach a magistrate court to obtain a remand order if it wants to detain Emefiele and Bawa beyond 24 hours. He also said that even if the DSS has obtained a court order, it cannot last for long.
Falana urged the government to handle the cases in line with the provisions of the law and to avoid exploiting loopholes. He said that the investigations should be conducted speedily, especially in cases where serious allegations have been made.
In the case of Emefiele, Falana said that the DSS had alleged his involvement in terrorism financing last year. He urged the government to take action on this allegation and to also investigate Emefiele for money laundering and other offences.
In the case of Bawa, Falana said that the government has not yet disclosed the offences that he is alleged to have committed. He urged the government to speed up the investigation and to arraign Bawa if he is indicted.
He also stressed that if the appropriate legal procedures are not met to keep Emefiele and Bawa in detention, they should be granted bail.