Detained ex-senator’s name not in EFCC’s database

There was a mild drama at the Ibadan Federal High Court, yesterday, when the counsel to a former senator disclosed that his client’s name was not in the database of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite the fact that he has been held in the agency’s detention in its Lagos office for over a month.

Michael Lana, representing his client, Senator Ayo Adeseun in a suit instituted against his detention by the anti-graft commission, told the presiding judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel that the court bailiffs that went to serve officers of EFCC in its Abuja headquarters, discovered that his client’s name was not contained in the agency’s database and that the agency’s officers refused to be served on the matter of the case, because according to them he is a ‘’ghost detainee.’’

Leading other four lawyers, on behalf of his client, Lana frowned at a situation whereby a former pubic officer would be arbitrarily detained without recourse to due process.

He fingered one Zakari Biu, an EFCC operative, whom he accused of detaining the former senator for over a month, without charging him to court for any particular offence.

In an application, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit, filed on June 3, 2016, which he read to the court, Lana prayed the court to order the EFCC to produce his client immediately,

He also prayed the court to effect the release of his client on bail, while also asking for a short date of adjournment because his client is still languishing in EFCC’s detention.

Justice Emmanuel granted the third prayer to allow for the EFCC to be served through its Ibadan office, while also granting the prayer for a short adjournment to June 13, 2016.