Reno Omokri, a socio-political activist, has advised President Bola Tinubu against detaining the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, without providing an opportunity for him to defend himself against any allegations made.
Omokri emphasized that Tinubu should avoid repeating the errors of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who arrested officials from the previous administration without affording them the chance to present their defense.
In a tweet, Omokri stated, “The whereabouts of Godwin Emefiele remain unknown. It is imperative that the Tinubu administration refrains from incarcerating him while making public accusations. This was precisely the approach adopted by Buhari when he assumed office in 2015 towards officials of the Jonathan administration.”
Omokri further expressed concern over the practice of imprisoning individuals and subsequently using allegations to sway public opinion against them, without granting them an opportunity to defend themselves.
“We had hoped that such dark days were behind us. Question Emefiele and even level accusations against him, but allow him the chance to refute these rumors and insinuations,” he added.
Omokri also raised questions about the legal basis for Emefiele’s detention and called for transparency, urging Nigerians to hear directly from him. He stressed that President Tinubu, who started his tenure on a positive note, should refrain from continuing the draconian practices of his predecessor. Omokri drew parallels to the actions of former military ruler Abacha, which even forced Tinubu into exile in 1994.