A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Thursday morning has ordered the Department of State Service, DSS, to within 48 hours release detained Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah.
Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris in a 100 page judgment, ordered the DSS to release Ubah, if it fails to file a charge against him.
Trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris in a 100 page judgment, ordered the DSS to release Ubah, if it fails to file a charge against him.
Ubah was arrested by DSS over an alleged oil deal with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
He has been in DSS custody since May 5, 2017 when he was arrested.
The court Thursday, also berated the DSS for lying to the court that Ubah was arrested in Abuja, while from every available evidence, he was arrested in Lagos and flown to Abuja, where he has been detained some weeks.
Meanwhile another High Court at the FCT sitting in Jabi has granted an ex-parte motion filed by DSS to extend the detention of the Chairman of Capital Oil for a further period of 14 days.
Meanwhile another High Court at the FCT sitting in Jabi has granted an ex-parte motion filed by DSS to extend the detention of the Chairman of Capital Oil for a further period of 14 days.
The billionaire was arrested over allegations of not remitting N11 billion being the sum realized from the sales of petroleum products stored in his facility by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He was also accused of acting in a way considered inimical to the country’s security.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of FCT High Court in his ruling held that it is only fair in the interest of justice that the DSS be allowed further time to conclude its investigation.
The judge had earlier dismissed a motion on notice brought by Ubah asking for the court to vacate its earlier exparte order granted on May 10 that allowed DSS to detain Ubah for 14 days.
The initial exparte order elapsed yesterday May 24 and counsel to DSS, G.O.A. Agbadua informed the court of a new motion exparte brought pursuant to Section 296(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) asking for an order of the court to extend the detention of Ubah for a further period of 14 days.
He said this is because the DSS couldn’t conclude investigation within the earlier 14 days because it was discovered the investigation took on a wider dimension.
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