By Arowoogun Abiola

The Nigerian Bar Association, the umbrella professional body for lawyers in the country has reacted to the face-off between the officials of the DSS and that of the prison officials on Tuesday in the court premises over who is to take the custody of the former CBN boss who is currently facing charges on illegal possession of fire arms and was granted bail by the court.

It will be recalled that after Mr Godwin Emefiele, through his lawyer, Joseph Daudu, had moved his bail application before the Federal High Court, Ikoyi on Tuesday, the judge, Nicholas Oweibo in his ruling granted the suspended CBN   governor bail in the sum of N20 million with one surety in like sum, after he declared the charges against the defendant were bailable.

However, drama started outside of the court when heated arguments ensued between DSS officials and the staff of the correctional service on who should take the custody of the suspect.   The arguments soon developed to an all-out physical combat in the full glare of the members of the public present in the court premises.  Eventually however, the operatives of DSS were the one who went with the suspect as he the former CBN boss re-arrested.

Meanwhile, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association has declared that the brawl between the two federal operatives is despicable. He also opined that the situation questions the state of the nation’s security. “A situation where officers of federal government agencies engage in fight as witnessed by the public, for whatever reasons, is antithetical to our security as a nation and creates a recipe for anarchy and chaos”.

He therefore called for disciplinary actions of the staff of both DSS and Nigerian Correctional Service involved in the shameful act.

Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association