A Nigerian lawyer Gabriel Ogbonna has been granted bail by an Abuja High Court on Tuesday after six months in the Department of State Service (DSS) custody.
Ogbonna was granted bail by Justice Taiwo Taiwo after his lawyer Mike Ozekhome told the court that his client was unlawfully detained by the DSS.
Ozekhome, who pleaded that Ogbonna is admitted to liberal bail condition, said that his client’s fundamental rights had been breached.
The lawyer said Ogbonna had been in DSS custody since March 24 for allegedly criticising certain policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
He urged the court to apply the constitutional provisions which presume the applicant as innocent of the offence until proven guilty.
The lawyer to the federal government, Isah Abubakar, however, opposed the bail saying that the applicant would escape justice in view of the gravity of his alleged offence.
The judge granted Ogbonna bail of the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum. Both sureties must provide evidence of tax payment and one of them must have a property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with verifiable documents.
Justice Taiwo ordered the applicant be remanded in prison custody pending the time he would perfect the bail.
THE GUARDIAN
