Court orders DSS to produce Ifeanyi Ubah on Friday

A federal high court in Lagos has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce Ifeanyi Ubah, managing director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, on Friday.

He was arrested by the DSS over the alleged diversion of petroleum products worth N11bn.

The DSS had claimed that during his arrest, Ubah “undermined national security and public order” through his conduct.

But on Tuesday, Ubah filed a lawsuit against the security agency for detaining him “unlawfully”.

Ifeoma Esom, Ubah’s counsel, presented an ex parte application before Mohammed Idris, the presiding judge, claiming that her client had been unlawfully detained since May 6.

She urged the judge to order the DSS to release Ubah so as to prevent the security agency from coercing him to accede to whatever conditions they impose on him in exchange for his freedom.

George, Oranuba, secretary of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, also filed an affidavit filed in support of the ex parte application.

He said Ubah was arrested on account of allegations levelled against him by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, an issue which he said was already before the court.

He added that the DSS had earlier detained Ubah from March 24 to April 14, earlier this year on the same issue.

Upon hearing Esom’s application, Idris ordered the DSS to bring Ubah before the court on May 12, 2017, “to prove to the court why he shouldn’t be released unconditionally.”