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The Council of Arewa Chiefs in Lagos State on Monday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos and Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Aminu Idris Yaro, who was arrested alongside his wife by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The group said the Sarkin Hausawa had been held by the DSS incommunicado for the last three days described it as an unlawful detention.
This is contained in a statement signed by Jarman Lagos, Yerima Shettima, asking the agency to grant the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos immediate access to legal representation, medical attention and family members.
The Council affirmed that it understands that the Sarkin Hausawa is being held in connection with the ongoing investigation of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
The statement reads in part, "In the alternative, present him for cognizance by a competent court of law in accordance with the provisions that invalidate the indefinite detention of persons without trial.
"The attention of the Council of Arewa Chiefs, Lagos State has been drawn to the unexplained detention of the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos and Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Aminu Idris Yaro with his wife by the Department of State Services (DSS).
"We note also that the Sarkin Hausawa has been held by the DSS incommunicado for the last three days following what initially was a routine invitation which he dutifully honoured.
"The Council of Arewa Chiefs also understands that the Sarkin Hausawa is being held in connection with the ongoing investigation of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
"The Council is not unaware of the friendship relationship between the Sarkin Hausawa and Mr Godwin Emefiele just the way Emefiele is friends with many other chiefs and dignitaries all over the country and around the globe.
"What is regrettable is however, the unexplained connection of a friend with the ongoing investigation of Mr Emefiele who till this moment, as far as the public is concerned, is only being accused of possession of unlicenced firearm.
"The Council is concerned that the DSS might typically be used to hunt down respected leaders of community using terrorism fight as a smoke screen.
"While the Council of Arewa Chiefs does not dispute the prerogative of the DSS and any security service in the country to invite any person it deems useful for any of its investigations, we, however, find the detention of the Sarkin Hausawa incommunicado and beyond the lawfully allowed 24 hours by the DSS, repugnant to the sensibilities of the traditional rulership system, the Arewa community and the Council of Chiefs.”
It continued, "While the Council of Arewa Chiefs is very much aware of the obligations on every Nigerian to assist government agencies and institutions in the all-important fight against corruption within the laws of the land, and in building a nation united around the values of justice and honest enterprise, we nevertheless shall remain firm in the belief that security agencies are as much deserving of respect in the same manner the traditional institutions demand to be respected.
"Traditional rulers will first need to be accorded commensurate respect, their emasculation, maltreatment and harassment have to be ended and their revered place of respect assured before we can place any hope in them to do anything meaningful in the community.
"Having come this far, the Council of Arewa Chiefs wishes to make the following demands from the DSS and or any other agency or institution involved with the current incarceration of the Sarkin Hausawa:
"Demand his immediate and unconditional release from what obviously is an unlawful detention.
"Grant him immediate access to legal representation, medical attention and family members.”
"In the alternative, present him for cognizance by a competent court of law in accordance with the provisions that invalidate the indefinite detention of persons without trial," the statement added.
BACKGROUND
In June, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had uncovered N70 billion fraudulently realised by the suspended apex bank governor, Emefiele in connivance with others.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the money was raised by Emefiele and the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Alhaji Yaro and his wife through a forex differential fraud facilitated by the suspended CBN governor.
President Bola Tinubu recently suspended Emefiele from office and he was soon arrested and flown from Lagos to Abuja to face interrogations centred around corruption and abuse of office.
Sources told SaharaReporters Emefiele grossly abused the privileges of the office by making quick cash from forex differential fraud with the help of the Sarkin Hausawa of Lagos, Yaro and his wife, who is said to be an employee of the apex bank.
“This is a case of forex differential fraud involving the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele.
“The governor sells forex to various individuals at the official rate on paper. He has an understanding with the individuals that they will sell at the black-market rate when the CBN credits the banks of the individuals that buy the forex.
“When they sell, the difference will be paid into the account of Aminu Yaro on behalf of Emefiele,” one of the sources had said.
“So far, about N70 billion has been traced to the account in the course of the investigation.
“The wife of Aminu Yaro is an employee of CBN and a signatory to the company account where the money is paid into. She has also been invited by the EFCC for questioning.
“The case was compromised by the suspended Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa because some people close to the seat of power are involved.
“They charge the wife for SCUML (Special Control Unit Against Money Laundry) offences but the main case was left out while the differentials in forex exchange malpractice raised benefits of about N70 billion,” another source had said.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu recently directed the unification of foreign exchange rates against the multiple foreign exchange regimes of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
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