Army Frees Dasuki’s Aide As Ekiti Lawmaker Regains Freedom

BEVERLY HILLS, March 23, (THEWILL) – Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, who was arrested by the EFCC/Army since December 23, 2015, has been released while the Department of State Services (DSS) has also released Afolabi Akanni, the Ekiti state assembly lawmaker, whom the state government alleged had died in the custody of the secret police.

Lawyer to Ashinze, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, announced Ashinze's release from the Mogadishu Military Cantonment by the military authorities, in a statement, adding that his release was sequel to an earlier order made by Justice Y. Halilu of the Abuja High Court sitting at Jabi, Abuja, in a fundamental rights case argued by Ashinze.

Justice Halilu, in the ruling referred to by Ozekhome, had ordering the unconditional release of Ashinze with his confiscated properties and lashed the EFCC and the Army for failing to obey constitutional provisions regarding the rights and liberties of a serving colonel alleged to have committed an offence.

He termed the action of EFCC and the Army as similar to what was obtained in uncivilized societies still living under military dictatorship adding that the motto of the EFCC which states that “Nobody is above the Law” also applies to all investigating authorities, including EFCC, but which he said was behaving as if it was above the law.

Similarly, THEWILL gathered that the DSS released Afolabi Akanni on Tuesday having received satisfactory information from the lawmaker who had been in its custody since March 4.

The Ekiti State Government had caused a stir ‎on March 17, when it alleged that the lawmaker had died in custody of the DSS which was denied with the presentation of Akanni before journalists, alive but sick.‎

Story by David Oputah