The Economic Community of West Africa States Court has declared that the arrest and detention of former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki is unlawful.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Abuja yesterday ordered the immediate release of former National Security Adviser, NSA, Colonel Muhammadu Sambo Dasuki (rtd) from detention.
Dasuki has been in detention without trial since December 2015.
The court held that the detention of Dasuki violated both national and international laws on the right of persons and citizens to freedom of liberty.
Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke of the court in his judgement imposed a fine of N15million against Nigeria as compensatory damages to the former National Security Adviser for the deprivation of his freedom to liberty and the deprivation of his properties.
In the judgement that lasted over one hour, the regional court dismissed the allegations of unlawful possession of firearms and economic crimes used by the federal government to justify the detention of Dasuki adding that the Nigerian government missed the track because the applicant applied before the court for the enforcement of his breached and contravened fundamental rights.
Justice Nwoke said that even, if the applicant had committed a crime, the law still has it that due process of the law must be observed in his trial adding that it is an established fact that the applicant was put on trial in three different Nigerian High Courts and was granted bails by the courts.
The court said that the action of the Nigerian government in subjecting the Ex-NSA into the indefinite detention without trial is condemnable because criminality has not been established against him.
