Justice Muhammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the DSS to bring Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, the Managing
Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, to court by Friday, May 12. Justice Idris also said, they will need to show why the controversial businessman should not be released unconditionally.
Ifeoma Esom the counsel to Mr Ubah had earlier filed for the court to compel his release from the custody of DSS where he has been since May 6. Ifeanyi Ubah with FIFA president George Oranuba, the Secretary of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, also said that DSS acted in disregard of the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers and the sanctity of the judicial process.
According to Sahara Reporters, Oranuba said Ubah’s arrest was in respect of the allegations made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
Mrs. Esom argued that unless the court orders the applicant to be produced in court within 48hrs, EFCC and DSS would continue to keep him in their custody where they may “coerce him into acceding to whatever conditions they impose on him in exchange for his freedom”.
Meanwhile, DSS had said he was arrested over “economic sabotage” and diversion of petroleum products of about N11 billion. Meanwhile, Ubah’s lawyer Esom told Justice Idris that the secret police should be ordered to release Ubah immediately in order to prevent him from being coerced into making wrong untrue admissions.
