Senator Abaribe Released By DSS After Five Days In Detention
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who was arrested last week Friday by the Department of State Services (DSS), has regained freedom after spending five days in detention.
Abaribe was released at about 6.32pm on Tuesday June 26, 2018.
A terse statement by his Legislative staff, Uche Awon said that Senator Abaribe was granted administrative bail and released to his lawyers that were led by Chukwuma Machukwu Ume SAN.
Speaking at the premises of the DSS facility in Abuja, Machukwu thanked Nigerians for standing up against the wrongs done to Nigerian democracy with the arrest of Senator Abaribe, adding that; “The collective calls and demand for his release have shown the great spirit of Nigerians for justice.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Senator Abaribe was taken to a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Binta Nyako, who said that She did not did not make any order for his arrest .
The trial judge also said that the DSS is not an extension of her court, stressing that she did not make any order for the arrest of the surety and doesn’t also know why Senator Abaribe was arrested, saying that those that did so should know why they did as such.
The Following conversation took place in Court
Counsel to Abaribe: My lordship, my client was arrested by the DSS and had been held incommunicado till today.
Justice Nyako: I did not make any order for his arrest.
Counsel: He was arrested days ago and brought to this court from DSS custody.
Justice Nyako: You should know what to do if the man was arrested without court directive.
Counsel: My Lord the content of the search warrant that they brought to his (Senator Abaribe) house for search relates to this matter (Nnamdi Kanu) of which is under your court.
Justice Nyako: DSS is not an extension of this court. I did not make any order for the arrest of the surety and I don’t also know why he was arrested. Those that did so should know why they did.
Counsel: My lord, my client was to be in court today only for the agents of the state to arrest him and kept him incommunicado for days. My lord, we are talking about a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Justice Nyako: You know what to do in a situation like this!
Counsel: Even where he has been kept incommunicado my lord?.
Justice Nyako: Who brought Senator Abaribe to Court?
DSS Personnel: We did my Lord.
Justice Nyako: Allow him access to his Counsel.
For whatever reasons you arrested him. Please, allow him access to a lawyer of his choice.
DSS Personnel: Okay My Lord.
After the court session, as soon as Senator Abaribe stepped out of the Courtroom, Reporters and Camera that thronged the court for the coverage of the case approached Senator Abaribe for a normal press chat but was prevented by DSS personnel from talking to the press.
The persistence of the large number of journalists shouting and insisting on the need to hear from him as his right almost degenerated into a commotion which led men of the DSS to whisk him back to the court to allow the tension generated to simmer down.
Some members of the public that were in court soon join the journalists in insisting that Senator Abaribe should not be disallowed from talking to the press.
The crowd later erupted into singing “Freedom Come ooo by Struggle ooo, Freedom Come, by Struggle by Struggle, freedom Come …!!*
Based on the proceedings at the Court, it was clear that Senator Abaribe was not in Courtfor a fresh arraignment but for the ongoing matter adjourned to Tuesday, June 26, 2018 by Justice Nyako on a pending case involving Nnamdi Kanu for which Senator Abaribe is a surety.
