Alleged financial scam: Court orders EFCC to release Atuche’s wife

 BY INNOCENT ANABA

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately release the wife of the former Managing Director of Bank PHB, Francis Atuche, Elizabeth, who was arrested last week by the anti-graft agency.

Trial judge in the matter, Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, in her ruling on two separate  applications by Atuche and his wife, directed the anti-graft agency to release Elizabeth immediately and produce her in court on May 11.

Elizabeth was arrested by EFCC operatives in Lagos on May 3 and had been in detention since then.

Justice Murtala-Nyako, meanwhile, refused to restrain the EFCC from further interfering with Atuche’s liberty, but rather ordered that the EFCC should be put on notice.

Atuche  in the fresh suit by his counsel, had urged the court to restrain the EFCC from interfering with his liberty until such a time that the suit was determined in order to preserve the sanctity of the court and his fundamental human right.

Atuche, in an affidavit in support of the suit, deposed to by one Mike Okoh, averred that he had earlier been charged and arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos, adding that he filed an objection against the charges preferred against him by the EFCC but that same was dismissed, and that he had since appealed against the ruling.

Atuche had further averred  that after Elizabeth’s arrest on May 3, the EFCC had refused to neither charge her to court nor grant her bail, adding that she had been detained beyond the constitutionally prescribed period.