The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied illegally detaining Azibaola Robert, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It said the claim that it was trying to force him to implicate the former president was untrue.
The commission urged the court to dismiss the suit, adding that Robert’s detention was for the purpose of investigating an alleged fraud of $40million against him.
EFCC said it granted the suspect administrative bail, but he has failed to fulfill the terms.
In a counter-affidavit deposed to by an investigator Mohammed Hassan in opposition to Azibaola’s fundamental rights enforcement action, EFCC said he plaintiff was trying to frustrate investigation.
“An application for the enforcement of fundamental rights does not serve as a defence or shield from criminal investigation. This suit is frivolous, time-wasting, an abuse of court processes and should be dismissed with cost,” Hassan said.
Robert, through his lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, is praying the court to order his release from EFCC custody. Adegboruwa said his client honored an invitation to EFCC’s Abuja office on March 23 and has been detained since then.
Robert said he is being persecuted on account of his blood relationship with Jonathan, alleging there was a plot to keep transferring him from one state to another to continue renewing the remand orders so as to keep him in custody in perpetuity.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola adjourned till June 10.