Efforts of former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to breathe the air of freedom on Thursday failed as a High Court of Federal Capital Territory ordered his continued detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The court, which sat at Gwarinpa and presided over by Justice Maryam Hassan said Malami should continue to be in the custody of the EFCC.
He has spent 10 days in detention and is facing investigation over sundry accusations against him, among which included alleged financial malfeasance regarding the utilisation of recovered loot, as well as his reported links to terrorist financing.
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Though the former minister, who had since denied any wrongdoing, was on November 28, granted administrative bail by the anti-graft agency, however, he was detained on December 8 after he reported for further interrogation.
While he alleged that his bail was arbitrarily revoked after he attended a political rally in his home state, Kebbi, the EFCC refuted the claim, insisting he failed to perfect the bail conditions.
Determined to secure his freedom, Malami, through his team of lawyers led by Suliaman Hassan, approached the court to challenge his continued detention which he maintained was unlawful and unconstitutional.
He prayed the court to enforce his fundamental human rights by directing the EFCC to forthwith, release him from its custody.
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On its part, the agency, through its own legal team led by Chief Jubrin Okutepa, countered the application, even as it persuaded the court to dismiss it for want of merit.