A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined an application by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to be released by the Department of State Services (DSS) following his arrest last week.
Justice Binta Nyako on Tuesday turned down an oral application by counsel to Abaribe, Chukwu Machukwu-Ume (SAN) to issue an order for his client’s release on the grounds that the matter has not been duly brought before the court.
The Judge however directed that Abaribe be granted access to his lawyers, adding that holding him incommunicado will amount to breach of his fundamental right to have a counsel of his choice as guaranteed by the constitution.
Abaribe is one of the three sureties for erstwhile leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who was granted bail in April, 2017 in the sum of N100m bail bonds each.
He was nabbed on Friday by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in what his lawyer, Mr Machukwu-Ume later said was on allegations of gun running and sponsoring the IPOB.
Kanu, whom Abaribe stood as surety for, has not been seen following a military operation near his residence in Afara-Ukwu, Umuahia, Abia State in September, 2017 as part of Operation Python Dance II.
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