Lawyer threatens to sue EFCC for contempt over re-arrest of ex-FCT Minister Bala

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been dragged to court over its re-arrest of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed.

The EFCC had last week Tuesday rearrested and detained the former minister, but unhappy with the event, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Chris Uche, who is a lawyer to Mohammed, petitioned the EFCC challenging the action of the commission.

Uche in his petition contended that Mohammed’s detention by the anti-graft agency amounted to contempt of court since he was granted bail on November 26, 2016 by an FCT High Court on the same allegation.

Bala had during his first arrest by the EFCC spent about 42 days in the commission’s custody.

The lawyer in his letter addressed to the acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, dated May 5, 2017 called for the release of the former minister.

According to Uche, there was no reason whatsoever, to justify Mohammed’s re-arrest and continued detention.

He has therefore said he may have no option but to sue EFCC for contempt for violating the order by the FCT High Court for the former minister’s release on bail.

He further argued that the former minister had not violated his bail conditions to warrant a re-arrest, since he had maintained regular visits to the EFCC headquarters as was spelled out in the bail conditions.

“The offence for which he was rearrested is also bailable. There is no legal or constitutional basis for his continued detention while the EFCC is already prosecuting the case,” he said.

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