Court Orders EFCC To Release Jonathan's former ADC, Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been ordered to release Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe, the Aide De Camp (ADC) to former president Goodluck Jonathan

 Adegbe was detained at the instance of the Nigerian army. He was accused by the EFCC of delivering a brief case containing N10 billion from Jonathan to a former special assistant on domestic affairs to the former president, Waripamowe Dudafa. An Abuja High Court has ordered the release of the Aide De Camp to the former president, Goodluck Jonathan, Colonel Ojogbane Adegbe.

At the hearing today, March 1, the judge Yusuf Halilu ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release Ojogbane Adegbe on bail.

He ruled that Adegbe be released on bail on very liberal terms pending arraignment for any offence which he might have committed. 

Halilu also said that the law must be handled evenly between an individual and the government. He also condemned EFCC for reducing the anti-graft agency to a police station which now operates outside the ambit of law. Prior to his ruling, the applicants counsel, Ogwu Onoja told the court that Adegbe had been moved from the EFCC to a military facility.

He also argued that EFCC’s action violated Articles 5, 6 and 12 of the African Charter on human and peoples’ rights. While Onoja’s allegation received no objection from the EFCC’s counsel, the judge said his ruling on Adegbe’s release is not binding to the EFCC alone but to any government agency currently detaining the applicant. Adegbe was detained by the EFCC on Thursday, February 11 after he was called back from a military course in the United Kingdom.