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The senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, was yesterday released by the Department of State Services (DSS).
His lawyers and associates were immediately at the DSS headquarters in Abuja processing the paperwork for his release.
Abaribe was arrested few days ago by the DSS and had since been under detention for undisclosed reasons but speculated to be related to his closeness to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, whose whereabouts are unknown.
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Meanwhile, Abaribe had earlier yesterday appeared before the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided by Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako to defend his being a surety to Kanu, who had not been seen since September last year.
Abaribe was escorted to the court by the DSS, which immediately took him back to its headquarters after the court ordered the DSS to allow him access to his lawyers.
The order followed an oral application by his lawyer, Chukwuma Ume (SAN), who also prayed the court to order the release of Abaribe.
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Members of IPOB were in court in huge numbers to show solidarity with Abaribe and they demonstrated outside the court after the hearing, calling for his immediate release with placards and Biafran songs.
When the matter came up yesterday before Justice Binta-Nyako, Abaribe’s counsel, Ume, told the court that his client, who was arrested over his role in the IPOB matter, was brought to court in chains by the DSS.
He said Abaribe had since his arrest been held incommunicado by the security agency without being charged to court, adding that Abaribe’s arrest was capable of jeopardising the trial.
He, therefore, urged the court to order his release from DSS custody.
But the trial judge stated that since the arrest of Abaribe was not a matter before her, there was nothing the court could do, adding that in such a situation, Abaribe’s counsel ought to know the right step to take.
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