It’s a long walk to freedom for the 12 detained associates of Sunday Adeyamo, a Yoruba activist, as they are yet to regain freedom 19 days after a Federal High Court granted them bail.

Obiora Egwuatu of the Abuja division of the court had, on August 4, admitted all the 12 applicants to bail on different terms and conditions.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had raided Igboho’s house in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on July 1, and arrested 12 of his aides who were illegally detained for weeks, before the victims went ahead to challenge their detention and rights’ abuse in court.

While eight of them were granted bail in the sum of N5 million each and two sureties in the like sum, the other four were admitted to bail in the sum of N10 million each and two sureties in the like sum.

The eight are Abdulateef Ademola, Tajudeen Irinloye, Diekola Jubril, Ayobami Donald, Uthman Opeyemi, Olakunle Oluwapelumi, Raji Kazeem, and Taiwo Opeyemi, while the four detainees with higher bail conditions are Amudat Habibat, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Oyetunji, Bamidele Sunday.

When the case came up yesterday, counsel to the applicants, Sunday Adebayo, informed the court that they were yet to regain their freedom.

Meanwhile, DSS, through its counsel, Idowu Awo, has withdrawn its motion seeking to nullify the bail granted to Amudat Habibat, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Oyetunji and Bamidele Sunday.

Awo said he was withdrawing the motion which was filed on August 9, 2021, because of the appeal already pending at the Court of Appeal.

The application was not opposed by counsel to the applicants, Adebayo, and was accordingly struck out by the court.

Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on August 4, granted bail to the 12 associates of Sunday Igboho.

Delivering the ruling on the application filed by the 12 applicants before the court, the presiding Judge said, “It is clear that no charge has been brought against Sunday Igboho’s aides since their arrest.”

As such, the court held that detaining them without charging them contravenes the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and their fundamental rights.

However, the DSS has filed an appeal before the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal against the ruling of the trial court.

Sun