EFCC obtains order to detain Fani-Kayode for another 21 days

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has obtained another court order to keep a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, in detention for another 21 days.

It would be recalled that the anti-corrupttion agency had earlier secured a first order to keep the former Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign for 14 days after he was detained when he honoured an invitation extended to him.

The new order was handed down by a Lagos State Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Bola Osunsanmi.

The remand order, made on Monday, was in response to an application by the EFCC, praying the magistrate for an order to keep Fani-Kayode in custody pending when he would be arraigned before the proper court upon conclusion of investigation.

EFCC counsel, A.N. Anana, told the magistrate that the order to remand Fani-Kayode was being sought under the provisions of Section 261 of Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2011.

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“We have an application before the court dated May 10 for an order of remand brought pursuant to Section 261 of ACJL; attached with it is a nine-paragraph affidavit of urgency deposed to by one Tosin Ngbodagha,” Anana told the magistrate.

However, Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Mr. Wale Balogun, while opposing EFCC’s prayer, accused the anti-graft agency of acting illegally and breaching the constitutional rights of his client, who, he claimed, had been granted an administrative bail on May 12 by the EFCC and ought to have been released to enjoy the bail.

Balogun also contended that the EFCC ought to release his client since the remand order made by an Abuja chief magistrate to remand him for 14 days had lapsed.

“We are asking the court that defendant cannot be remanded in view of the fact that the matter is pending before the high court on the same subject, under the Criminal Justice Act of Lagos. It is a breach of constitution. They granted him bail but refused to release him,” Balogun added.

The magistrate, who stood down the matter for a while, ruled that the defence counsel had placed no record before the court to prove that the case was already before the high court.

She therefore granted the application by the EFCC to remand Fani-Kayode for three weeks pending when he would be arraigned before the proper court.

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