The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Nigeria Police Force to allow Adeniyi Adeyemi access to lawyers of his choice while he remains in custody.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu issued the order on Thursday while ruling on a fundamental rights application filed on Adeyemi’s behalf by his lawyer, M.B. Abdulazeez.
The court directed the authorities to provide Adeyemi with unrestricted access to his legal representatives at reasonable hours and barred them from interrogating him or requiring him to make or sign statements without the presence of a lawyer of his choice.
However, the judge declined to immediately grant Adeyemi’s requests for bail, release from detention and access to medical care from doctors of his choice, ruling that those matters required responses from the respondents.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently gave the Attorney-General and police 72 hours to explain why the remaining reliefs sought by Adeyemi should not be granted. The matter was adjourned until September 9 for the respondents to show cause.
Adeyemi is currently facing criminal proceedings over allegations connected to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), an organisation the Federal Government has said was not established by the government.
The police had previously obtained a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for a scheduled arraignment. He is facing an eight-count charge involving allegations including forgery and impersonation, with his arraignment fixed for September 30.
The latest court order concerns his right to legal representation while in custody and does not determine the merits of the criminal allegations against him.
