An Islamic cleric based in Ogun state, Abdul-Ganiyu Ibrahim,
has been released by operatives of the Department of State Services
after spending 424 days in custody for allegedly get involved in terror
activities.
Ibrahim who was released today, September 7, got his freedom after a federal high court in Abeokuta picked holes in his continued detention.
The court had ruled that it was not in line with the law for an accused person to be detained without being charged to before a court of competent jurisdiction.
A human rights lawyer, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem, had taken the case up without a fee and contended that the arrest and continued detention of the cleric by the DSS without disclosing his alleged offence or charging him to court was a violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity of person, personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by sections 34, 35 and 41 of the constitution.
The judge went further to compel the security outfit to release the cleric, to pay him for damages worth N1 million and also requested the DSS to publicly apologise to him.
The judge held that: “The 1st applicant is entitled to the grant of general damages in accordance with Section 36 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) for the abuse of his fundamental rights by the respondents’ unlawful detention and this court accordingly awards the sum of N1m to be paid by the respondents to the 1st applicant.
“The court having found that the continued detention of the 1st applicant is unlawful, the 1st applicant is entitled to a public apology from the appropriate authority or person by virtue of Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended). I therefore order the respondents to comply with Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) and tender a public apology to the applicant.”
The cleric was arrested about two months ago with his then pregnant wife, Muinat, they were both whisked away from their Ijoko home around 3am onon the said day by DSS operatives.
According to The Punch, Muinat was later released but her husband was continually kept in custody at the DSS station in Abeokuta
Speaking to journalists after he was set free, Ibrahim,said he was lost for words but could only thank God for being alive, while his lawyer called on the government to pay attention to the issue of human rights abuse.
Ibrahim who was released today, September 7, got his freedom after a federal high court in Abeokuta picked holes in his continued detention.
The court had ruled that it was not in line with the law for an accused person to be detained without being charged to before a court of competent jurisdiction.
A human rights lawyer, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem, had taken the case up without a fee and contended that the arrest and continued detention of the cleric by the DSS without disclosing his alleged offence or charging him to court was a violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity of person, personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by sections 34, 35 and 41 of the constitution.
The judge went further to compel the security outfit to release the cleric, to pay him for damages worth N1 million and also requested the DSS to publicly apologise to him.
The judge held that: “The 1st applicant is entitled to the grant of general damages in accordance with Section 36 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) for the abuse of his fundamental rights by the respondents’ unlawful detention and this court accordingly awards the sum of N1m to be paid by the respondents to the 1st applicant.
“The court having found that the continued detention of the 1st applicant is unlawful, the 1st applicant is entitled to a public apology from the appropriate authority or person by virtue of Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended). I therefore order the respondents to comply with Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) and tender a public apology to the applicant.”
The cleric was arrested about two months ago with his then pregnant wife, Muinat, they were both whisked away from their Ijoko home around 3am onon the said day by DSS operatives.
According to The Punch, Muinat was later released but her husband was continually kept in custody at the DSS station in Abeokuta
Speaking to journalists after he was set free, Ibrahim,said he was lost for words but could only thank God for being alive, while his lawyer called on the government to pay attention to the issue of human rights abuse.
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