FG Blocks Sanusi from Traveling Abroad; Seize His Passport

According to several reports, the Nigerian government have stopped suspended Central Bank of Nigeria governor Lamido Sanusi Lamido from traveling out of the country and have also seized his passport.

Premium Times reports.

Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services, SSS, on Saturday night blocked the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, from boarding a Turkish airline flight for a planned trip to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj, a witness and a spokesperson for Mr. Sanusi have told Premium Times.

Operatives of the SSS based at the Aminu Kano International Airport also seized Mr. Sanusi’s passport and told him they would not allow him to travel abroad unless they received clearance from their Abuja headquarters.

The SSS’ action however appears a contravention of the April 3 judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which restrained the agency and the Nigeria Police from arresting or harassing the CBN Governor or seizing his passport.

President Jonathan Suspends CBN Governor Sanusi Lamido

According to the official statement: Having taken special notice of reports of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and other investigating bodies, which indicate clearly that Mallam Sanusi Lamido  Sanusi’s tenure has been characterized by various acts of financial recklessness and misconduct which are inconsistent with the administration’s vision of a Central Bank propelled by the core values of focused economic management, prudence, transparency and financial discipline;

Being also deeply concerned about far-reaching irregularities  under Mallam Sanusi’s watch which have distracted the Central Bank away from the pursuit and achievement of its statutory mandate.

CBN Reacts to PREMIUM TIMES Report on Governor Sanusi

The Central Bank of Nigeria has sent a rebuttal to PREMIUM TIMES faulting the paper’s report which accused its governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, of abuse of office.

The full statement by the bank’s director of corporate communication, Ugochukwu A. Okoroafor is published below. Okoroafar was contacted for comments before our first story was published. He did not revert despite a promise to do so.

Read the full text of the CBN reaction below.

 3^rd June, 2013

The Ag. Managing Editor,

Premium Times 

Our attention has been drawn to the libelous story posted on your website on 2^nd June, 2013, on the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and which has now been circulated by other online websites and blogging groups.

The post was full of fabrication and inaccuracies. Ordinarily this would have been best ignored. We are however constrained to write to you on account of the severe implications of the allegations for the integrity of the CBN, as an institution. Continues after cut: