Group alleges plot to attack CBN headquarters

A human rights organisation under the aegis of the Coalition of National Interest Defenders on Thursday raised the alarm over fresh plot to launch what it described as a coordinated attack and smear campaigns against the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, because of the policies of the apex bank.

The organisation which alleged that plans had been concluded to attack the CBN Headquarters, said the Department of State Services was planning to re-arrest Emefiele, despite a subsisting court order.

The Convener of CNID, Tochukwu Ohazuruike, said there was already a perfected plan to fabricate another allegation to help them arrest Emefiele,  force him to resign, to pave way for appointment of a DSS stooge as acting CBN governor despite numerous judgments from courts of competent jurisdiction.

While calling for the President’s intervention, Ohazuruike said, “Despite the clear and direct orders of the High court of the FCT, the DSS was insistent that it would arrest Emefiele. The flagrant violation of the rule of law is very worrisome. Nigeria is a democracy and as such, the rule of law must prevail at all times.”

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He alleged that money launderers, vote buyers, election riggers and corrupt politicians were the sponsors of the plot to remove the CBN Governor.

“Some governors who looted the bailout funds to their states from whom the CBN recovered huge amounts including a governor from whom the CBN recovered N20bn are part of those asking for Emefiele’s head”, he said.

According to him, about $2m had allegedly been mobilised to organise media smear campaigns and protests against Emefiele and CBN.

The CSOs called on the DSS to apologise to Emefiele for the trauma it had put him through, and the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for opposing his policies and show support.

Speaking on the issue of the allegedly looted N89tn stamp duty fund, Ohazuruike asked series of questions.

He said, “How it could be possible that N50 charge on electronic transactions be more than the entire financial transactions in our country? How can they say we have N89tn from stamp duty of N50 charge while the entire nation’s foreign reserve is not near that amount?

“How is it possible that we can have N89tn while the entire assets of our nation’s banks, bank profit and all deposit in the banks are not up to that amount? How can we have N89tn from just N50 charges when the nation’s total budget since 2016 that President Muhammadu Buhari first presented a budget till date is just about N95tn?

“It means that this amount could have funded all the budgets of the country since this administration assumed office. Just how could that be?”