Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Monday, said it is shameful that the Department of State Services (DSS) persistently fail to arrest ex-Niger Delta agitator, Asari Dokubo, yet the secret police are pressing charges against the embattled suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, for alleged illegal possession of firearms.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, also querried why all the bandits brandishing military grade weapons in videos have not been arrested and prosecuted by the DSS.

After over one month of his suspension and arrest since June 10, 2023, the DSS, last week, charged Emefiele with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

A copy of the charges in the media showed the case was filed on Thursday (13 July), the same day a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the State Security Service (SSS) one-week ultimatum to either charge him in court or release him.

In the newly filed case, the agency accused Emefiele of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence; an offence said to be contrary to Section 4 of the Firearms Act, and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.

In the second count, the SSS charged him with illegally possessing 23 rounds of live ammunition (cartridges) without a licence. The offence is also said to be contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.

The charge is a downgrade of much weightier allegations of terrorism financing and economic sabotage the SSS earlier levelled against the suspended CBN governor.

HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The fresh charge against Godwin Emefiele is laughable. More laughable is that the DSS spent several man-hours, resources, to track the suspended CBN governor.

“Then, why is Asari Dokubo whose viral video trended whereby he brandished military assault rifles and threatening to bring fire and brimstone on Nigeria not arrested and charged for illegal possession of firearms?

“Why are all the Fulani bandits brandishing military grade weapons in videos not arrested and prosecuted?

“This Emefiele’s matter has been reduced to child’s play by the DSS and this is a crying shame that scores of gunmen are killing, maiming and destroying people in the South East in the guise of enforcing sit at home orders of Simon Ekpa but the DSS can quickly arrest Emefiele detain him for many weeks and charge him for possession of firearms whereas the real mass killers in the South East are allowed to operate freely.”