Lai Mohammed

An Aba, Abia State based businessman, Mr. Bright Chinyere Anaga, has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to compel the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, Commissioner of Police, Federal Investigation Bureau and two others identified as Prince Jeff of the Federal Investigation Bureau and Superintendent Alhassan Emmanuel to pay him the sum of N500 million over illegal arrest and detention.

In the fundamental rights enforcement suit before Justice A.R. Mohammed, lawyers to the businessman, E.H Ugochukwu Chambers also asked the Court to order his unconditional release from detention or grant him bail pending when a formal charge is filed against him.

In the application filed before the court, the businessman alleged that he was arrested by agents of the IGP under instructions from the Minister of Information and Culture on Saturday, May 2 in Aba, Abia State and he has been in detention since then without being informed of his offence, charged to court or granted bail.

In an affidavit he signed and deposed, one Mr. John Okorie, the applicant’s brother, said Anaga has suffered untold hardship at the hands of the respondents as a result of the unlawful incarceration.

He also swore that he (Bright) did not commit any offence and will not commit any offense if his application for freedom is granted.

Counsels for the applicant led by Ugochukwu Ezekiel Esq. in a written address in support of the application stated that the unlawful arrest and detention of Mr. Bright Anaga is a violation of his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement as enshrined in section 35, 36, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The suit is scheduled for hearing on Thursday.