Terrorism: Court Order Release of Suspect but,….Investigation could continues
Olorunfemi Ojo
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has ordered the immediate release of a middle aged muslin cleric arrested by the Department of State Security on suspicion of terrorism activity.
Justice F.O.G Ogunbanjo, in her judgment on the case said, the continued detention of the man without any formal charge in court violated the fundamental human rights of the accused.
According to her, it also violates the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human Rights and Movement of People.
She then awarded a cost of one million naira as damages against the office of the DSS with a public apology to the complainant.
However, she submitted that the order of release given does not stop further investigation of the crime alleged to have been committed by the complainant.
The first complainant, Abdul Ganiy Ibrahim through his counsel had approach the Federal High Court in Abeokuta to challenge his continued detention without trial and prayed the court to declare his detention unlawful, unconstitutional and flagrant abuse of his fundamental human rights.
Abdul Ganiy Ibrahim, a 35-year old resident of Ijoko Ota, was arrested alongside his wife in July 2014 by men of the DSS and have not been properly charged in any court of competent jurisdiction, thereby infringing on their fundamental human rights.