An Abuja High Court sitting in
Maitama on Thursday ordered the police to show cause over it’s continued
detention of Sen. Dino Melaye.
Melaye, the senator representing
Kogi West in the National Assembly, who has been in police custody since Jan.
4, approached the court for enforcement of his fundamental right.
NAN reports that Justice Yusuf
Halilu gave the order after Melaye’s counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN)
informed the court that his client has been in police custody since Jan. 4
against what the law stipulated.
“We are talking about the liberty
of a citizen not because he is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
but a citizen, this is contrary to sections 35 and 36 of the constitution of
Nigeria.
“If you keep a man for 13 days,
you have already presumed him guilty, ” he submitted.
Mr Simon Lough, the respondent
counsel, told the court that he only got the motion on notice on Jan. 16, and
needed five days according to law to reply.
He added that he was not aware of
the order to show cause.
He said though Melaye was in the
police custody, he as the council does not have the power to effect his
investigation which was ongoing, preparatory to charging him to court.
Lough, therefore, prayed the
court for an adjournment to enable him file and serve his reply before Jan. 18.
The judge explained that the
police was put on notice to come and show cause why the detained senator should
not be granted bail.
“The court was approached by the
police for his custody and the court granted it, and now the court ordered that
the police should come and explain why he would not be released.
“I granted an order on Jan. 14,
that the police should come and show cause,’’ the judge said.
He, however, adjourned hearing
till Jan. 18, to enable the respondent file his reply on the applicant.
Both parties agreed to the
application for adjournment prayed by the respondent.
The judge further ordered the
respondent to serve the applicant all the processes today.
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