Lawyer sues DSS over Bawa, court fixes Oct 9 for hearing

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, Thursday, adjourned till October 9, for hearing of fundamental rights enforcement suit, filed by a lawyer, Nkereuwem Mark Anana on behalf of the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, against the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and two others. […]

A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, Thursday, adjourned till October 9, for hearing of fundamental rights enforcement suit, filed by a lawyer, Nkereuwem Mark Anana on behalf of the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, against the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and two others.

The suspended Chairman of the EFCC, Bawa has been in detention since June 14, 2023, when he was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS). Neither was he charged to court or granted administrative bail.

The lawyer had dragged the DSS’ Director-General, the DSS and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) before the court, for trampling upon the fundamental rights of embattled chairman of the EFCC, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/1631/2023.

Justice Akintayo Aluko fixed October 9, for hearing of the suit, following a request by Anana, who informed the court that he needed to respond to a preliminary objection filed by the Director General DSS.

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In the suit, Anana, a former EFCC prosecutor sought “The sum of N100 million, as damages against the first and second respondents.”

However, DSS and its director-general, in their preliminary objection, filed by their lawyer, Mr. Michael Bajela, asked the court to award the cost of N200 million against the lawyer as general damages.