Court orders release of ex-ADC by any government agency holding him

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting before Justice Yusuf Halilu in Jabi, Abuja, has ordered the Economic and Financial Commission Crimes Commission (EFCC), and any other related government agency, to release Ojogbane Adegbe, ex-Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to former President Goodluck Jonathan on bail forthwith.

Halilu in his ruling on enforcement of his fundamental human rights filed against the EFCC by Adegbe, ordered the release of the ex-ADC on liberal bail terms pending his arraignment in court for any offence. ‬

He held that the law should be even-handed between the government and an individual, and wondered why the EFCC had reduced itself to a “police station,” saying the anti-graft agency must act within the limits of the law.

The judge stated that the EFCC had no right to detain an individual at

will, adding that it was unconstitutional for the agency to keep Adegbe in detention for more than 24 hours.

‪Ogwu Onoja, counsel to Adegbe, had however before the ruling, informed the court that the EFCC had transferred his client to a military facility after granting him bail on stringent conditions.

Msuur Denga, counsel to the EFCC, did not object to the submission of the Ogwu.

Thereafter, the judge stated that his ruling was binding not only on the EFCC, but also on any agency keeping him in detention.

However, a reliable source had disclosed to this paper that the Nigeria Army authorities had withdrawn the ex-ADC, Ojogbane Adegbe, a colonel, from his ongoing promotional course in the United Kingdom.

The source close to the ex-ADC authoritatively told BusinessDay that Adegbe, who was on Friday released to the confines of the Nigeria Army, was withdrawn from the course on February 11, pending investigation on his alleged involvement in the movement of over $47 million he received from embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.

In a chat with BusinessDay, Adegbe’s lawyer, Ogwu Onoja, averred that the move might not be unconnected with the expected ruling of the FCT high court. He confirmed to our correspondent the transfer of Adegbe had not been communicated to him by any of the parties (Nigeria Army and EFCC) officially and that someone else communicated even the information about his withdrawal from the course to him.

“Yes, he has been transferred, but they have not informed me officially and I cannot even go there because the last time I met him was at the EFCC, and not until they inform us, the matter before the court still stands against the EFCC,” he said.