Court orders release of Enugu officials
December 6, 2006

Hon. Justice A. O. Faji, the Presiding Judge at the Federal High Court, Enugu, yesterday ordered the immediate release of four top officials of the Enugu State Government, who were arrested in Enugu over the weekend by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The persons whose release was ordered by the court are the Principal Secretary to the Governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Sylvia Onwubuemeli, the Managing Director of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Engr. Emeka Nnam, the Corporation's Marketing Manager, Mr. Obiora Onugu and the Head of its Estate Department, Mr. Valentine Nebo.

These were the officials of the Government currently being detained by the EFCC.

The order was made pursuant to the motion for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, which was moved by Chief Chris Uche (SAN).

The court also ordered the release of Barrister JSPC Nwokolo, the Chairman of Rainbow¬net Limited, who was also arrested by the EFCC over the weekend.
Barrister Nwokolo had however earlier been released by the EFCC on Sunday, and had since then returned to his home in Enugu.

It would be recalled that Justice A. 1. Alagoa, also of the Federal high Court, Enugu had on Monday ordered the release of the employees of Rainbownet Limited, Cosmo FM and Capital City Automobiles Limited, all of whom were arrested and detained by the EFCC after their raid of the companies on Friday last week.

The Court had further ordered that its order should operate as a stay of any further action on the matter by the EFCC.

The detained persons had sought their release and challenged the right of the EFCC to arrest and detain them when no allegation had been made by the Commission against them and when no case had been brought in court against the companies for which they work, further to the EFCC's investigation of these companies since January this year.

Two weeks ago, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had restrained the EFCC from re-arresting officials of the Enugu State Government who had earlier been arrested, interrogated and released by the Commission at various times during the year. These officials argued that the EFCC should charge them to court if it found any wrongdoing on their part, instead of the current incessant practice of arresting and re-arresting them.

The persons affected by that order include Prince Sam Ejiofor, the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Barr. Peter Mba, the Commissioner for Finance.