Court Orders Release of BDC Operators from Police Custody

A vacation judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, Abuja, ordered the Nigeria Police Force to release Bureau de Change operators Alhaji Bello Mohammed and Bashir Ibrahim Lambo on administrative bail or to charge them in court. This ruling followed an ex parte application by their counsel, Sani Sajo Esq., seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights.

The application named several police officials and United Bank for Africa as respondents. The BDC operators claimed they were detained for over a month without being charged after a $600,000 transaction, which they conducted in compliance with Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines.

They stated that they were invited by the police in June and detained for two days before being granted bail. Since July 28, they alleged unlawful detention without legal justification, exceeding the 48-hour limit set by the 1999 Constitution.