Connect with us

News

Five months after, court grants bail to lawyer detained by DSS for allegedly criticising Buhari

Published

on

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted bail to social critic, Gabriel Ogbonna, who has been in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody since March.

Ogbonna, who is also a lawyer, was arrested by the secret police on March 24 for allegedly criticising certain policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He also warned that Nigerians may revolt over alleged harsh living conditions unless the federal government provided a remedy to the situation.

The judge granted the lawyer’s bail while ruling on a motion on notice filed by his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

Ozekhome had in the motion drawn the attention of Justice Taiwo to the fact that his client had been held unlawfully by the DSS since March 24.

He argued that Ogbonna was detained for his alleged criticism of certain policies of the Buhari administration.

READ ALSO: Nigerians support Aisha for criticising Buhari publicly, poll shows

He pleaded with the judge to grant the lawyer bail in the most liberal conditions, saying his fundamental rights had been “brutally breached with the six months detention.”

The prosecution counsel, Isah Abubakar, opposed the bail application on the grounds that the defendant would abscond if granted bail.

Justice Taiwo granted Ogbonna bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties, according to him, must provide evidence of tax payment.

He added that one of the sureties must have a landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with verifiable documents.

The judge, however, ordered that the applicant be remanded in prison until he perfects his bail conditions.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now