Court orders EFCC to release ex-Skye Bank chairman, Ayeni

An FCT High Court in Maitama has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately release the detained chairman of the defunct Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni.

The court set aside an earlier order it granted the EFCC to detain Ayeni for 14 days.

The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu held yesterday that the antigraft agency had suppressed facts which misled the court into earlier granting the application, thereby, making the detention illegal.

The decision of the court followed an enforcement of fundamental rights suit filed by Ayeni, through his counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN) seeking his release from the EFCC custody.

Raji told the court that there is a pending suit before the Federal High Court against the Ayeni on the same subject matter and that the trial judge at the Federal High Court, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had in the particular case admitted his client to bail. He added that the bail condition had since been perfected.

Raji added that the detention of the applicant was a breach of his fundamental human right as he went to the commission by himself on the invitation.

The anti-graft agency had last week approached the FCT High Court through an ex-parte application seeking a 14-day remand order of Ayeni.

The commission had premised the request for a remand on a need to investigate a petition submitted by the Office of the Vice President in respect of Ayeni’s alleged roles as the Chairman of the defunct Skye Bank.

The court then granted the said ex-parte application. Ayeni had however approached the Court to challenge the order and prayed that same be set aside.