Lawyers urge EFCC to obey court’s order on Ubani’s release

Lawyers of Igbo extraction yesterday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under the leadership of its Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, to release human rights lawyer, Mr. Monday Ubani, in line with a subsisting court order.

The lawyers, under the aegis of Otu Oka Iwu (Law Society), noted with dismay the flagrant disobey of the order of court granted by Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja.

The court had in a ruling on March 26, 2019 granted an ex-parte motion filed by Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) directing the EFCC to charge former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Vice President, Mr. Monday Ubani and his co-applicant to court “on or before Friday, March 28, 2019.”

Since then, Ubani, who was arrested over a case involving his client, has neither been charged nor granted any administrative bail in total disregard of the court order.

But the lawyers, in a statement signed by Chief Chuks Ikokwu, called for his immediate release and his co-applicant in line with the subsisting order of the Federal High Court”.

According to the group, it is a matter of deep concern and national embarrassment that the EFCC has chosen to brazenly disobey this order of the court as it has neither charged the former NBA Vice President to court nor granted him any administrative bail.

Also, the group has demanded a high-powered judicial enquiry into the allegation of complicity and dereliction of duty levelled against the EFCC and its leadership.

According to them, the time to sanitise the EFCC and rid it of corruption is now! Enough is enough!

It further urged the Federal Government to take immediate steps to ensure that the EFCC does not derail its avowed commitment to the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights of citizens.

“This has become more pressing given the presence of many senior lawyers, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“The EFCC’s Gestapo-style regime of holding citizens for weeks and months without trial and at times without valid court orders must stop. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic.

“Attempts by institutions of state to ridicule the country and make it seem like a lawless fiefdom must be resisted by all citizens and the international community,” the group said.