Shocker As 2 High Courts Gives Conflicting Orders On Ifeanyi Ubah

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the Department of State Security (DSS) to immediately and unconditional release the Chairman of Capital Oil Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah.


The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris ruled that said Ubah’s detention without charge was illegal.

According to The Nation reports, he also ordered the DSS to file a criminal charge against Utah within 48 hours or release him without conditions,

Ubah was arrested by the DSS for allegedly diverting petrol worth over N11 billion. 

On Tuesday, in a counter-affidavit filed before the High Court of the Federal Territory, the DSS recommended the death penalty for the businessman claiming the crime of diversion of an essential product as petrol amounted to an economic sabotage deserving of the ultimate penalty.

“Security agencies must understand that they are not instruments of debt recovery,” Justice Idris held.

The judge also said the DSS lied under oath in a bid to justify Ubah’s detention, describing it as unfortunate.

However, just as the court in Lagos was ordering DSS to release Ubah, another court in Abuja has granted the request of the DSS to keep Ubah for another 14 days, the Vanguard reports.

Justice Yusuf Halilu extended the detention order following an ex-parte application the DSS filed through its lawyer Mr G.O.A. Agbadua. The agency said it filed the application considering that an earlier order the court granted it on May 10, elapsed on Wednesday.