Release Ekiti lawmaker or produce him, court orders DSS

Detained Ekiti lawmaker, Hon. Afolabi Akanni, has been ordered released by a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.

Akanni, who was arrested last week by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, was ordered either released or produced in court on Wednesday, 16 March, to show why he should not be released.

He was arrested when the DSS operatives stormed the Ekiti State House of Assembly complex.

Akanni, representing Efon constituency, was arrested last Friday by the DSS for undisclosed reasons and whisked to Abuja and had since been detained by the security agency.

The lawmaker, through his lawyers, Barr. Obafemi Adewale and Barr. Bunmi Olugbade, went approached the court through an ex-parte application, seeking the protection of his fundamental human rights in line with Section 35 (1) of the 1999 constitution.

The ex-parte-motion, marked FHC/AD/CS/18/16 and supported with a 26 paragraph affidavit deposed to by a member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Tunji Akinyele, prayed the court for an order compelling the DSS to release him pending the determination of the substantive issue.

It will be recalled that members of the Ekiti House of Assembly had accused the DSS trying to intimidate them and cow them impeach the state governor, Ayodele Fashola.

Read also: Read also: DSS offered us $1m to impeach Fayose – Ekiti lawmakers

The chairman of House committee on Media and Publicity, Hon Aribisogan, said at a press conference in Ado Ekiti, “We are here to inform the public through your various medium the open involvement of men of the Department of State Service (DSS) from Abuja in the plot to unseat our State Governor, Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose.

“Last Friday’s invasion of the State House of Assembly by armed men of the DSS in which four of our members were abducted, has been established to be a prelude to the clandestine plot to coerce members of the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Fayose.

“As at today, even Hon Afolabi Akanni that we were able to confirm was with the DSS in Abuja is being held incommunicado. No one has been given access to him, not even his lawyers and doctors. We do not have any information as to the whereabouts of the other three.

The lawmakers equally claimed that they are aware of the plot to arrest no fewer than 18 of their members with a view to forcing them to sign impeachment notice against Governor Fayose.

“The plot is being hatched by the same elements who masterminded the impeachment of Governor Fayose in 2006, which was eventually declared illegal by the Supreme Court and they are boasting of support of the DSS and the Presidency.

“In the last four days, eight of our member had been visited by some men, who claimed to be officials of the DSS. Our members were told that their names were among those to be arrested and they must “cooperate” if they do not want their bank accounts frozen and be kept in DSS detention indefinitely”.

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