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  • Updated: December 21, 2019

Ozekhome Faults Detention Of Adoke

Ozekhome Faults Detention Of Adoke

 

Mike Ozekhome, counsel to a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation, Mohammed Adoke, says that detaining his client is "unnecessary."

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to detain a former Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, for 14 days.

Mr. Mike has requested that the EFCC release his client on the basis of his health.

Adoke, who returned from Dubai, after mounting pressure from the anti-graft commission is set to face trial for his connection to the Malabu oil deal.

According to Ozekhome, seeing as his client had arrived in the country voluntarily, there was no need for him to be in detention.

“It is quite surprising, if not distressing, to behold EFCC obtaining a two-week detention order to keep Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN in its custody. This is a man they had already charged to court since 2017, even in absentia, whilst he was in the Netherlands pursuing his masters degree in International law,” Mr. Mike said.

Adoke therefore elected to return to Nigeria voluntarily, purchasing his own ticket by himself, and signing as such, accordingly. I had issued a statement to the effect that Adoke was on his way back to Nigeria and would report to the EFCC with lawyers from my office upon his arrival.

“It was therefore a matter of great surprise that the Interpol still arrested him upon arrival and handed him over to the EFCC. Rather than the EFCC immediately arraigning him before a court based on charges already preferred against him even in absentia, it has resorted to obtaining an Ex-parte order from the FCT High Court, to detain him for two weeks. We don’t want to believe that Adoke will be persecuted rather than prosecuted.

“The last time I checked, cases are first thoroughly investigated before a suspect is charged to court as has been done in the Adoke matter. Of what use is his present incarceration meant to achieve? Is it meant to subdue him? Punish him? Wear him out mentally, physically, spiritually, psychologically and psychically? Deny him justice? Subject him to public ridicule, derision, odium and obloquy?

“Is it meant to negatively put him in the public domain, try him, convict him and sentence him, through media trial? All these will neither help the course of justice,nor promote constitutional democracy, with its corollary in-built safety valves of advancing inalienable human rights and liberties as recognized by extant national, sub-regional, regional and international civil rights instruments.

“We humbly appeal to the EFCC to accord Adoke administrative bail to take care of his poor health, the very reason he had gone to Dubai. In the event that this fails, we shall immediately take legal steps to vacate this Ex parte order, with a view to protecting our client’s rights and securing his liberty.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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