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JUST IN: Court grants bail to Igboho’s aides

Published

3 years ago

August 4, 2021

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted the bail application brought before it by the 12 detained aides of Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho..

Justice Obiora Egwuatu ordered all the detained aides to be admitted to bail.

He gave the order after a recess that lasted for over two hours, following the submissions of the counsels on both sides.

The lawyer to the detained aides, Pelumi Olajengbesi had prayed the court to admit the Igboho aides to bail unconditionally.

The DSS lawyer, I. Awo, told the court that he was not opposing the bail of eight of the applicants.

However, he vehemently opposed the bail of the other four applicants on the ground that the DSS’ investigation has revealed their high complicity in the offence of arms stockpiling.

The DSS lawyer argued that the four aides should not be granted bail in the interest of justice and national security.

He also stated that their investigation was currently ongoing and has not been concluded.

Awo submitted that once investigation is concluded, the DSS will not hesitate to charge them to court.

“The fear of the respondent is that if granted bail, they will not make themselves available for further investigation and possible prosecution,” Awo argued.

The lawyer to Igboho aides, Olajengbesi, prayed the court to discountenance the argument of the DSS as it was unknown to Nigerian law.

Olajengbesi stated that the Igboho aides have been detained by the DSS for 34 days and are yet to be charged to court for any offence.

He argued that their continued detention violated the provisions of the constitution and was an infringement on their fundamental human right.

Olajengbesi also argued that the DSS does not need 34 days to investigate a person that they claimed was found with firearms.

Relying on the case of Bola Kale V. The State, he argued that the position of the law is that investigation cannot be indefinite.

Olajengbesi urged the court to release aides on bail and assured the court that they will ensure a reasonable surety to give the DSS assurance that the applicants will be available for further investigations.