KUNLE EDUN, SAN, CONDEMNS THE EFCC'S CONTINUED DETENTION OF INFLUENCER, VERYDARKMAN; CALLS FOR HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Edun, SAN, has condemned the arrest of popular influencer Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, calling it 'illegal.'

“The news of the arrest of Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was reported in the social media on Friday,” Mr. Edun told the Loyalt Nigerian Lawyer. “While the Police have the power under section 4 of the Police Act to prevent, detect and investigate Commission of crimes, the exercise of the powers is circumscribed by the provisions of 35(5)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.”

“Section 35(5)(a)the Constitution only permits detention of not more than 24 hours if there are courts within 40 kilometres radius of the detention centre and of course, there are many criminal courts of less than 5 kilometres of the detention facility of the EFCC in Abuja where VeryDarkMan is being illegally detained.

“I call on the Chairman of the EFCC to intervene and direct his officers to immediately release him and/or charge him to Court immediately if they have any evidence incriminating him of the Commission of any crime. It is unconstitutional to detain a person while scouting for evidence to prosecute him and that seems to be what the EFCC is doing. It gives the impression that the agency may be biased and a persecutor.

“Furthermore, there is this unfortunate trend amongst security agencies in Nigeria, particularly the Police, EFCC and the DSS,” Edun, SAN added. “There are strong allegations that they arrest suspects in places far outside Abuja and then transport them to Abuja, just to take their statements. What, then, is the relevance of the state or zonal offices of the agencies? In the case of VeryDarkMan, it was alleged that he was arrested in Lagos and flown to the EFCC Headquarters, Abuja. Did he commit treason or such other offence that the EFCC office in Lagos could not deal with? Whatever offence he allegedly committed, was it committed in Abuja?” He queried. “This bad practice should stop except there are other ulterior motives.”

Source: loyalnigerianlawyer.com