Counsel to Mohammed Adoke, former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of keeping his client in horrific detention.

In a statement on Thursday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria also condemned the continued detention of Adoke after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court had granted him bail.

Ozekhome noted that the court took into consideration his client’s poor health before granting him bail.

He, however, urged the anti-graft agency to respect a valid court order by releasing his client and asked the Federal Government to build strong and enduring institutions.

“It is disheartening that despite meeting the bail conditions imposed by the court, since the 30th of January 2020, the EFCC is still holding our client in permanent custody, till date.

“This has further jeopardised his very poor and fragile health. The court had actually taken Adoke’s ill health into consideration in making the order for his release, with certain bail conditions.”

“From the foregoing, it is crystal clear to any discerning observer that our client is no more being prosecuted, but is being persecuted, by the EFCC, which has, by this singular act, now constituted itself into an institution that acts above courts of law.

“It now deploys unbridled powers to choose and/or decide (as in this particular case), whether or not to obey valid and extant orders made by courts of competent jurisdiction.

He insisted that his client has fulfilled the conditions for his bail and upon presenting the release order, he claimed that the EFCC came up with another round of stories.

“It was either that one official or the other, was not available to authorise the release and, so Adoke continues to languish in illegal detention. As of today, 6th February 2020 (and still counting), over seven clear days after the court granted Adoke bail, the EFCC continues to detain him.

“Notwithstanding our client’s fulfilment of his bail conditions, he has been kept by the Respondent in horrific detention, in blatant defiance of the court’s clear and mandatory order for his release on bail,” Ozekhome decried.

He stressed that Adoke’s health condition was fast deteriorating on a daily basis, adding that the former AGF now has typhoid and malaria among other illnesses while his sight was gradually failing him.

The SAN alleged that this has forced the EFCC to hurriedly transfer Adoke to the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

“In addition to his spinal cord and back pains, Adoke is now critically ill, with the fresh addition of typhoid, malaria, sore throat and blistered lips, and with his sight gradually failing him. This has forced the EFCC to hurriedly transfer him to the Federal Medical Centre, Airport Road, Abuja,” the lawyer said.

“From the foregoing, it is crystal clear to any discerning observer that our client is no more being prosecuted, but is being persecuted, by the EFCC, which has, by this singular act, now constituted itself into an institution that acts above courts of law.”

He said by refusing to obey the order of court, the EFCC “is now constituting itself into an appellate court or tribunal over court decisions.”

“If a former Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice could be so shabbily ill-treated with such brazen disrespect to his humanity and dignity for his person, over alleged infractions, the infractions of which a competent court of law (coran, Justice Binta Nyako), had clearly exonerated him in a land mark decision, dated 13th April, 2020, and also, a further exoneration, by the Present Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in a legal opinion dated 20th September, 2017, then one shudders about the fate of the proverbial ‘common man’ and ‘common woman’,” Ozekhome said.

“We humbly appeal most earnestly, to the EFCC, to respect a valid court order, by releasing Mr Bello Adoke, SAN, forthwith, from his illegal, unlawful wrongful, and unconstitutional detention.”

. Ozekhome Accuses EFCC Of Keeping Adoke In ‘Horrific Detention’ Follow Concise News.