After 53 days in detention, the 12 aides of embattled Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, are set to taste freedom again as Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday signed their Release Order.
It was learnt that the presiding judge ignored the persistent argument of the DSS lawyer, Idowu Awo, and signed the Release Order of the four contested detainees.
They are Amudat Babatunde, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Oyetunji, and Bamidele Sunday.
The detainees’ lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, confirmed the development to journalists on Monday.
He said the judge could not sign the Release Order of the other eight detainees because three of the sureties withdrew before concluding the process of perfecting the bail conditions of his clients.
The eight detainees are Abdullateef Onaolapo, Tajudeen Irinloye, Dikeola Ademola, Ayobami Donald, Uthman Adelabu, Olakunle Oluwapelumi, Raji Kazeem, and Taiwo Tajudeen.
Olajengbesi, however, expressed optimism that the three sureties that pulled out would be replaced and the judge would sign their Release Order too.
The lawyer also urged the DSS to comply with the court order and release his clients immediately.
Recall that the DSS had approached a Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja to revoke the bail earlier granted by the Federal High Court in Abuja to the contested four — Babatunde, Shittu, Oyetunji and Sunday.
The secret police had expressed strong dissatisfaction against the ruling of Justice Egwuatu on August 4, 2021, granting bail to all the detainees, against the objection of the DSS lawyer that Babatunde, Shittu, Oyetunji and Sunday should not be granted bail.
While Awo did not oppose the bail of the other eight, he had said investigations revealed that the four contested detainees — Babatunde, Shittu, Oyetunji and Sunday — were heavily involved in the alleged offence of arms stockpiling and other criminal activities of their boss, Igboho.