PH
An Abuja High Court sitting has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Nigerian Army, to forthwith, release Col. Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)
Ashinze was arrested by the commission on December 23, 2015 for his alleged involvement in the diversion of $2.1 billion by the former NSA.
He has remained in the custody of the EFCC since his arrest, without been charged to court.
In a judgment on Monday, Justice Yusuf Haliru, directed the respondents to immediately release the applicant on self-recognition, saying his detention for over three months without trial, was “illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constituted a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant”.
The court also ordered immediate release of documents and items the anti-graft agency seized from the house of the applicant.
Justice Haliru blasted both the EFCC and the Army which he said acted as if Nigeria was still under military dictatorship.
The former aide had last week sued the EFCC for allegedly detaining him illegally, demanding N500 million as compensation.
