An Anambra High Court sitting in Awka, yesterday, ordered the police to immediately release one Chukwuemeka Ekwueme, a real estate developer, detained at Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo, Anambra, since December 14.
The order followed an application for bail by Alex Ejesieme, counsel to Ekwueme, in suit No. A/Misc 461/2022 and Motion No. A /2050m/2022, filed against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba.
Other defendants are the officer in-charge of Zone 13, Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Abutu Yaro, the police Spokesperson in Zone 13, Nkiru Nwode, and an officer in the office of the Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Awah.
Ejesieme had earlier told the court that Ekwueme was arrested and detained because he set out to develop a piece of land at Oba International Airport area, in Idemili South Council of Anambra.
He said the police arrested his client upon a petition by the community, but had held him in detention without prosecuting him since December 14.
The counsel noted that the police was acting in contempt of court with continued detention of his client.
He added that the Magistrate’s Court at Ugbenu, in Awka North Council of the state, which approved his client’s arrest and detention, vacated the order since December 20.
Ejesieme described the action of the police as draconian, and prayed the court to admit his client to bail, pending conclusion of investigation of the crime he allegedly committed.
He also sought an order to serve all processes in the suit on the respondents by serving same on the officer in charge of the legal department, at Zone 13 Headquarters of the police at Ukpo.
In his ruling, Justice D. A. Onyefulu, a vacation judge, ordered the police to release the applicant on bail in the sum of N5 million and a surety resident within the jurisdiction of the court.
Source: The Guardian
