Despite the order from the Federal High Court, the DSS filed charges bordering on treason, illegal possession of firearms, aiding and abusing persons in illegal possession of firearms against them.
Despite a court order to produce them today, the Department of State Services has stated that it is holding 12 persons arrested during a midnight raid on the Ibadan home of Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, more commonly called Sunday Igboho, because it is still investigating them.
According to the DSS in a detention order it got from a Magistrate Court on July 19 by Justice Mohammed Zubairu, and obtained by SaharaReporters, the defiant secret police stated that the aides were believed to have committed “the offences of treasonable crimes, illegal possession of firearms” among others.
The DSS had on July 1 raided Igboho’s residence in Oyo.
Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesman, had said the security agency recovered illegal arms including seven AK-47 rifles and thousands of ammunition from Igboho’s house.
The agency also paraded 12 supporters of the activist, saying they allegedly attacked DSS operatives during the raid.
The supporters were subsequently moved to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they had been in detention and denied access to lawyers and family members.
Owing to their detention, the suspects had through their lawyer, Pelumi Olajemgbesi, filed an application at the Federal High Court, Abuja asking the court to “inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention since July 2, 2021, and where it deems fit admit applicants on bail.”
They also asked for an order “mandating and compelling the respondents to produce the applicants before this honourable court and show cause as to why the applicants should not be granted bail in accordance with the provisions of section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.”
Ruling on the application on July 23, Obiora Egwatu, the judge, said there was merit in the application.
Consequently, the judge granted all the orders sought and asked the DSS to produce the applicants in court on July 29.
The applicants are Abdulateef Ofeyagbe, Amoda Babatunde, Tajudeen Erinoyen, Diakola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Noah, Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwapelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
Despite the order from the Federal High Court, the DSS filed charges bordering on treason, illegal possession of firearms, aiding and abusing persons in illegal possession of firearms against them.
“The Court is hereby informed that there is a probable cause to order the remand of the respondents in this matter, aged between 28 and 45 years, arrested at Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State in remand custody of the Headquarters of the State Security Service located at No 1, Maitama Avenue, Maitama District, Abuja who are reasonably suspected to have committed the offences treasonable crimes, illegal possession of firearms, aiding and abusing persons in illegal possession of firearms contrary to the Penal Code, Firearm Act, LN 32 of 1959 and Robbery and Firearm (Special provisions) Act Cap r11 LFN 2004,” part of the court document obtained by DSS, reads.