• Wants FG, Dasuki to make case in one day
• Group urges EFCC to follow due process

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court has ordered the Federal Government to justify the detention of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd), in one day.

The regional court, presided by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke, also ordered the detained retired army officer to make out his case against government challenging his detention since December last year in one day.

Justice Nwoke, at the resumed hearing on the matter, gave the order yesterday in Abuja in a legal action instituted by Dasuki to challenge his alleged unlawful detention, unlawful seizure of property and infringement on his fundamental rights to liberty.

The judge, also while ruling in a motion by the Federal Government seeking to lead oral evidence against Dasuki to justify his detention, said that the regional court having granted expeditious hearing in the case of alleged abuse of fundamental rights, will do nothing to defeat the accelerated hearing order.

The presiding judge in the ruling granted the request of the government to call two witnesses who are security operatives to lead oral evidence against Dasuki but also ordered that the defence by the government must be done within one day.

He subsequently ordered Dasuki to make out his case of the abuse of fundamental rights against government today (May 18) while the Federal Government must put its defence at the disposal of the court tomorrow, May 19, 2016.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been urged to maintain its integrity and act within the laws of the land instead of persecuting those who served in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Speaking against the backdrop of the arrest of major players in the last administration, a non-governmental organisation, the Integrity Forum, has accused the EFCC of singling out opposition members for arrest.

While expressing support for the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari, the group advised the anti-graft agency to act within the law instead of its present tactics of presuming that all the people that served in that administration had something to hide or were corrupt.

Citing the arrest of former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye; Director of Media of the Goodluck Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode and that of Senator Ayo Adeseun who represented Oyo Central Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance & other Financial institutions, the group described the agency’s tactics as a grand plot to cow the opposition.

On Fani-Kayode, Alo said the action of the EFCC shows that it had concluded on what ending it wanted, adding: “Even before his visit to the EFCC, the agency had already got an order to detain him for two weeks, does this not look premeditated?”

The group noted that Senator Adeseun was arrested last Tuesday over involvement in campaign funds disbursement, saying: “Has there been any probe conducted on the funding of the APC presidential campaign? Why is EFCC being selective?”