An Ogun State based Islamic cleric, Abdul-Ganiyu Ibrahim has regained his freedom after spending 424 days in the custody of the Department of State Security Services (DSS, also called SSS).
Ibrahim, who was released on Monday, September 7, 2015, was arrested by Nigeria’s Secret Police for allegedly being involved in terrorist activities with links to Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram.
He was granted freedom after a human rights lawyer, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem after took his case before a Federal High Court in Abeokuta.
The Federal judge ruled that Ibrahim’s continued detention was a violation of his fundamental human rights to dignity of person, personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by sections 34, 35 and 41 of the constitution as the DSS had failed to disclose his offense to him or charge him with a crime before a judge.
The judge also ordered the DSS to publicly apologise to Ibrahim and pay him damages of N1 million.
The judge held that: “The 1st applicant is entitled to the grant of general damages in accordance with Section 36 (5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) for the abuse of his fundamental rights by the respondents’ unlawful detention and this court accordingly awards the sum of N1m to be paid by the respondents to the 1st applicant.
“The court having found that the continued detention of the 1st applicant is unlawful, the 1st applicant is entitled to a public apology from the appropriate authority or person by virtue of Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended). I therefore order the respondents to comply with Section 35 (6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,(as amended) and tender a public apology to the applicant.”
Ibrahim was arrested along with his pregnant wife, Muinat, from their residence in Ijoko. The wife was released shortly after their arrest, but the cleric was detained by the DSS office in Abeokuta.
Ibrahim spoke with journalists soon after his release thanked God for being alive. His lawyer, Adetola-Kazeem, called on the Nigerian government to pay attention to human rights abuse by security agencies.
