The Federal Government, yesterday, described the
N100million demand by Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind of the April
14 bomb blast that killed over 75 persons and wounded 100 others at a crowded
motor park in Nyanya Abuja, as a big joke.Consequently, the government sought
an outright dismissal of the fundamental right enforcement proceeding that was
initiated before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court by Ogwuche.Nyanya
bomb blast suspect Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche sits in the courtroom in Abuja on
November 24, 2014. A Nigerian court on November 24 struck out terrorism related
charges against Ogwuche, the alleged mastermind of an April 14, 2014 bus station
bomb blast in Nyanya, an outskirt of the capital city of Abuja, which was
claimed by Boko Haram islamists, that killed 71 people and wounded 124. Ogwuche
had in the application he filed through his lawyer Mr. Ahmed Raji, SAN , urged
the court to compel the Federal Government to pay him N100m as compensation for
his continued detention in the custody of the Department of State Security,
DSS, over his alleged complicity in the bombing incident.He told the court that
he has been in detention since July 15, 2014, when he was arrested in Khartoum,
Sudan and extradited to Nigeria through the help of the Interpol, saying the
government has neither arraigned nor filed a valid charge against him.Ogwuche
accused the Nigerian government of violating his fundamental human rights as
enshrined in section 34, 35, 36, 41 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution, as
amended, as well as Articles 2, 6, 7(1) of the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Right (Ratification& Enforcement Act).Aside asking for damages against
the government, Ogwuche further urged the court to invoke it’s powers and order
his release from detention pending whenever the government is ready to conduct
his trial.His application was further anchored on Order 2, Rule (1),(2),(3) of
the Fundamental Enforcement Procedure Rule.Meantime, the government yesterday
described Ogwuche’s contention as arrant balderdash, saying he is under lawful
custody following his role in the Nyanya mayhem.DSS lawyer Mr Clifford Osagie
also drew the attention of the court to the fact that Ogwuche has been allowed
to have access to his lawyers, family members and adequate medical
attention.Osagie argued that the right to liberty accorded to the accused
person under section 35(1) was not absolute, even as he adduced two exhibits (SS-2
and SS-3) to show why Ogwuche should not be allowed to regain his freedom yet
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