The Department of State Services’ (DSS) rearrest of suspended CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele has been criticized by the Arewa Youths Movement (AYM) as being unjustified, invalid, and a violation of the court’s ruling nullifying the terrorism claims against him.

After Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos accepted Emefiele to bail in the amount of $20 million, the secret police and representatives of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS, got into an argument on Tuesday over the agency’s decision to take custody of the suspended Apex Bank Chief.

After the physical altercation, Emefiele was eventually taken into jail by agents of the secret police.

The group, in a statement issued by its leader, Kabiru Yusuf, on Wednesday recalled that months ago, Justice M. A. Hassan of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT restrained the DSS and four others from arresting or detaining Emefiele over alleged terrorism financing.

He also recalled that the judge held that the DSS acted wrongfully and illegally in instigating the then President Muhammadu Buhari against Emefiele in respect of the exercise of his statutory duty relating to the issuance of monetary policies and directives in the interest of the national security and economy.

He further recalled a recent ruling in which an FCT High Court Judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, ordered DSS to immediately release Emefiele from detention.

He emphasised that the rearrest by DSS on grounds of terrorism was baseless and contemptuous violation of earlier court judgements voiding terrorism allegations.

He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend DSS DG Yusuf Bichi for routinely undermining the legal system and the courts.

The DSS’s decision to re-arrest Emefiele on terrorism-related charges is unjustified and a flagrant violation of an earlier court ruling that invalidated such claims, according to Arewa youths. an organization that has repeatedly refused to follow court orders. President Tinubu’s warning that he won’t accept them operating at “cross purposes” was one of the highlights of their initial meeting.

“The DSS is acting unlawfully. They behave as if they are exempt from the law. Before this agency becomes chaotic, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu takes action and demonstrates that he is a true Democrat.