A Federal Capital Territory High court sitting before Justice Olukayode Adeniyi has ordered the immediate release of Abiodun Agbede, an ally of the Governor Ekiti state governor who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for allegedly concealing and transferring N1.3billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for Fayose.
Justice Adeniyi while delivering his ruling on an application filed by Agbede, challenging the infringement on his fundamental human rights, following his detention without arraignment by the EFCC, also order the payment of N5million to the accused person by the EFCC.
He further granted an order granting him to bail in the sum of N50million and one surety who must be a public officer of a cadre of a director with the Federal Government of Nigeria or the Federal Capital Territory Administration, who must provide evidence of residence in the FCT or a responsible Nigerian with verifiable evidence of residence in FCT and tax payance.
The surety must also deposit his international passport with the EFCC, while the anti graft agency was ordered to also release all the properties and effects of Agbede seized within 21 days in the event that he is not charged to court.
The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi emphatically lambasted the anti graft body for rushing to a Magistrate court in Ogba, Lagos state to get a remand order, after it had granted the accused person administrative bail with stringent conditions, which the court said amounted to taking the bail granted him away from him.
The court further cautioned magistrate courts from granting frivolous remand orders, except for exceptional cases in line with the tenants of the constitution, while the fundamental rights of individuals must always be taken into cognisance.
The court however dissociated itself from assuming jurisdiction on the suit, from the day the accused person was arrested in Lagos on June 26, 2016 at Parkview Estate, until he was transfered to the headquarters of the EFCC in Abuja on July 1, 2016 where he was said to have made further statements.
