Court orders EFCC, military to release Jonathan’s ex-ADC

An FCT High Court has ordered the Economic and Financial CrimesYusuf Halilu, justice of the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja, has ordered the Economic and Financial Commission Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release ex-ADC of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Col Ojogbane Adegbe on bail immediately.

The judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu also asked the EFCC to release Adegbe on bail on liberal terms pending his arraignment in court for any offence, adding 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”. He also cautioned the anti-graft agency to act within the limits of the law.

Justice Halilu, who insisted the EFCC had no right to detain an individual at will, said that it was unconstitutional for the agency to keep Adegbe in detention for more than 24 hours.

Read also: Confusion over who is holding Jonathan’s ADC

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

Musu 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.

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