Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was released from detention on Tuesday by the Department of State Services, DSS.
His release followed an administrative bail he was granted.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Awom, the senator who is the chairman of the South East Senators Forum, was released at about6.32 p.m.
The statement reads: “Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe walked to freedom after five days in the DSS gulag.
“Abaribe who was granted administrative bail was released to his lawyers led by Chukwuma Machukwu Umeh (SAN).
“Speaking at the premises of the DSS facility in Abuja, Umeh thanked Nigerians for standing up against the wrongs done to Nigerian democracy with the arrest of Sen. Abaribe.”
Awom quoted Ume as saying “the collective calls and demand for his release have shown the great spirit of Nigerians for justice.”
Justice Binta Nyako had earlier in the day ordered the Department of State Security Service (DSS) to allow Abaribe access to his lawyers.
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Nyako gave the order as a result of an oral application made by Umeh for the release of Abaribe.
Umeh who said his client was arrested for his role in the IPOB matter said he had been kept incommunicado, an action which he described as injurious to his trial.
The judge, however, said that since the arrest of Abaribe was not a matter before her, there was nothing the court could do about it.
She added that in such a situation, Abaribe’s counsel ought to know the next step to take.
Following the appeal by Abaribe’s counsel, Justice Nyako requested the DSS official who brought Abaribe to court that he be allowed access to his lawyers.
“Allow him have access to his counsel, you cannot hold him incommunicado. No matter the reason for his arrest, as a court of justice, all I can do is ask you to allow him access to his lawyers.”
