By Kingsley Omonobi,

Abuja— The Federal Government finally released Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, former Military Assistant to former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), by 2pm yesterday.

Colonel Ashinge, who had been under the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the military authorities, has already reunited with his family.

He was received by a joyous mother, brothers and his children after he arrived home from months of detention.

The EFCC and the military authorities had declined to effect the release of Colonel Ashinze, in defiance of the High Court order of March 14, 2016, that he be released.

A judge of an Abuja High Court, sitting in Jabi, Justice Yusuf Haliru, had on March 14, 2016, ordered the EFCC, and the Nigerian Army to release Colonel Ashinze, who served as Military Assistant to former NSAs, Sambo Dasuki and Patrick Azazi.

Ashinze, who was detained before resuming his new posting as Defence Attaché in Germany, has been in detention since December 23, 2015.

In his judgment, Justice Yusuf Haliru, ordered the anti-graft agency and the Army to immediately release the applicant on self-recognition, saying his detention for over three months without trial, was “illegal, wrongful, unlawful and constituted a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of the applicant.”