ECOWAS court orders Dasuki’s release, awards N15m against FG

The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States on Monday declared the arrest and continued detention of former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), unlawful, arbitrary and a violation of his right to liberty.

The court ordered that he be immediately released from the custody of the Department of State Service, whose operatives re-arrested him shortly after he was released from prison on bail with respect to his ongoing trial.

The court said it was wrong for the Federal Government to continue to detain him over undisclosed offences after he had been granted bail by three different courts before which he had been arraigned.

The court, in a unanimous judgment of a three-man panel read by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke, also awarded N15m damages against the Federal Government.

It ordered government to release Dasuki immediately and also his properties that were confiscated by state’s agents.

The court, which held that the Nigerian State was unable to substantiate its continued detention of Dasuki, also faulted the search of his houses in Abuja and Sokoto without valid search warrant.

The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed earlier this year by Dasuki.