Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome has cried out over the treatment being meted out to the former secretary general of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim by the Economic and financial crimes commission(EFCC).
Anyim has been in detention for weeks now and is allegedly being kept in Inhumane and degrading conditions by officials of the anti-graft commission.
In a petition filed by Ozekhome, who is also Anyim’s lawyer, he debunked the misleading reports by various media houses that the Ex-government official had been released by the commission on bail last Wednesday.
“This is a lie from the pit of hell. These false reports, which credit their source to “unnamed sources within the EFCC”, have continued to circulate throughout Thursday and Friday, with the intent to deceive the world and divert its attention from the gross abuse of the fundamental rights of Anyim, who has been kept under inhuman and degrading conditions for this unconstitutionally lengthy period”.
According to the lawyer, Anyim is still being held by the EFCC even after submitting his passport and fulfilling all bail conditions. He alleged that they forced forme his client to sign all sorts of self-incriminating and property stripping documents against his will.
In spite of these and the clear provisions of sections 35 and 36 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), the EFCC has bluntly refused to release Anyim to go and attend to his very poor health over which he was receiving treatment before he was forcibly taken away from home.
This is calling upon the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to prevail on the EFCC (and all law enforcement agencies), to respect the rule of law and the constitution they have sworn to protect and defend by promptly ordering Anyim’s release forthwith.”
