The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has called for the immediate release of the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Ifeanyi Ubah, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since May 5, 2017.
He is being accused of diverting N11bn being the sum realised from the sales of petroleum products stored in his facility by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
He was also accused of acting in a way considered inimical to the country’s security.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, on Thursday, had granted the DSS the nod to hold Ubah, for another 14 days.
Justice Yusuf Halilu extended the detention order following an ex-parte application the DSS filed through its lawyer, Mr. G.O.A. Agbadua.
This came after another court had earlier given the DSS 48 hours to free him.
The agency said it filed the application considering that an earlier order the court granted it on May 10, elapsed on Wednesday.
Reacting on Wednesday, Fayose in a statement issued by him on Thursday said there was no basis to continue with the “recklessness.”
Accusing the DSS of political witchunt, the governor wondered why the agency needed another 14 days to be ‘shopping” for evidence against Ubah.
“The judgment is contradictory of a system that is progressing. Someone has been in detention for this long, what sort of investigation could not be completed within the period?
“Must law enforcement agencies be using law to persecute the people? This is a prove that this government is dictatorial and does not represent the interest of Nigeria.
“So many people have been harassed previously by security agencies and at the end of the day the cases were lost in court. How would you compensate for the undue harassment and unlawful detention?
“The essence of leadership is not to oppress the people but to provide direction and protect the interest of the people.
“The DSS should stop molesting perceived opposition of the government because opposition is an integral part of democracy and people must be allowed to be free in their own country.”
