Unlawful Detention: Court Orders EFCC to Immediately Release Jonathan's Cousin on Bail

 

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to release a cousin of a former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Azibaola Robert, on bail after he was arrested over an alleged $40m fraud.

 

The order was given by Justice Olasunbo Goodluck. Justice Goodluck’s ruling on the ex parte application by Robert, through his lawyer, Chief Chris Uche (SAN),  held that the applicant’s detention by the EFCC for over two weeks was unconstitutional.

 

Justice Goodluck ordered that the man be released on bail by two sureties. Each of the sureties must be a serving or retired Director in any of the Federal Government’s ministries or parastatal and must be resident within Abuja.

 

The applicant would also deposit his passport to the Chief Registrar of this court.

 

The EFCC had on March 23, arrested Robert over an alleged diversion of $40m through a firm, One-Plus Holdings, which a sister company of Kakatar Construction and Engineering Company Limited, through allegedly phoney contract of securing oil pipelines.

 

He was said to have received the money from the then National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who is also being prosecuted for diversion of funds allegedly meant for procurement of arms to fight insurgency.