Published 23rd Jul, 2021

By Gabriel Ogunjobi

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to explain why the detained aides of Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, should not be granted bail.

According to Punch, Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, also ordered DSS to bring the 12 detainees before the court on July 29, the newly-adjourned date for hearing.

Egwuatu gave the order while ruling on an ex-parte application by Pelumi Olajengbesi, the counsel to the detainees.

In a suit against the DSS and its Director-General, Yusuf Bichi, Olajengbesi, had asked the court to “mandate and compel the respondents to produce the applicants” to enable the court “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention since July 1 and where it seems fit, grant applicants bail”.

The applicants’ lawyer further beseeched the court to compel DSS to “show cause as to why the applicants should not be granted bail in accordance with the provision of Section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and other extant laws in Nigeria”.

Since the raid on Igboho’s house on July 1, the Yoruba Nation agitator had been evading arrest by the Nigerian security agents until he was apprehended by the security forces in Benin Republic, where he is currently being detained over alleged illegal migration-related crimes.

The state security agency is yet to release any statement on the controversial arrest of Igboho in Benin Republic and didn’t respond to FIJ’s text message seeking comments on the arrest and the recent order by the Federal High Court regarding the detained aides.

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