The Nigerian Navy has transferred the case files of 67 Nigerians in its custody to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for possible release or arraignment in court.
In a statement on Friday, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, said this followed a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari.
The 67 detainees have been held by the navy since last year when they were arrested.
Falana said following a petition to Buhari, the President directed the security agency to either release the detainees or arraign them in court.
“Consequently the authorities of the Nigerian Navy have transferred and forwarded the case files of the detainees to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“We have confirmed that officials of the EFCC visited the detainees in the detention facilities in Lagos last week. We have been assured by the management of the EFCC that the detainees are currently being profiled with a view to having them released or arraigned in court,” the human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said.
He, however, expressed regrets that the navy has refused to release the case file of one of its former officer, Dada Labinjo.
He said, , a retired Navy Captain, has been detained incommunicado in an underground cell in Abuja since September 12, 2019.
“We therefore call on the Chief of Naval Staff to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court for the immediate release of Navy Captain Dada Labinjo from unlawful custody,” Falana said.
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