The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is to arraign the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, after more than one week of being detained in their custody.
It was gathered on Wednesday that Metuh, who was picked up at his Abuja residence on January 5, will be arraigned before Justice Okon Abang of the Court 10, Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja.
The PDP spokesman was said to have been arrested and under investigation by the EFCC for allegedly collecting about N400m from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), from the money alleged to be part of the $2.1 billion arms procurement fund.
Metuh had before his arrest, agreed that he collected an undisclosed sum of money from former President Goodluck Jonathan, in order to carry out some assignment as the spokesperson for the then ruling PDP.
But his long detention has not gone down well with the main opposition party, which said the EFCC was not a court of law, and that their Publicity Secretary must be charged to court instead of being held incommunicado for over a week. This was followed up by the decision of PDP caucus at the Federal House of Representatives to issue an ultimatum to the Commission to release Metuh from their custody.
In the same vein, a Lagos Lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, had three days ago asked the FHC, sitting in Lagos, to order for the immediate release of Metuh, from the EFCC custody.
Adegboruwa has in the suit, No. FHC/L/CS/21/2016, filed against the EFCC and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), contended that under section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, the EFCC has exceeded the maximum time allowed by law for the detention of a citizen, without trial in any court.
