The Department of State Service has yet to release an Islamic cleric, Abdul-Ganiyy Jimoh, it held in its custody since July 2014, despite Thursday’s ruling by a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Speaking with our correspondent on the phone on Friday, counsel to the applicant, Hammed Adetola-Kazeem, confirmed that his client had yet to be released.
In her judgement, Justice F.O.G. Ogunbanjo, had said that the continued incarceration of the applicant since July, 2014 without trial in a competent court grossly violated his liberty and the tenets of the constitution.
Ogunbanjo said that though security agencies were backed by law to investigate anyone they suspected posed threat to the society, the constitution does not empower them to detain such persons without court’s ruling.
“The DSS did not deny the arrest of the applicant and subsequent arrest of the 2nd applicant, but denied all other allegations contained in the motion,” the judge said, before ordering the DSS to pay the applicant N1m for the pains it had caused him both physically and mentally.
Ogunbanjo also directed the agency to tender a public apology to Jimoh who it accused of terrorism.
Adetola-Kazeem, had last year filed a notice before the court seeking an order declaring the arrest and detention of his client as illegal, praying the court to award the applicant N300m damages.
Wife of the detained cleric, Muinat, was released last September following complications resulting from pregnancy.
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