A Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday, ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), to pay N2 million to the former Governor of Rivers state, Dr Peter Odili, over the absence of its Counsel from Court proceedings on the instance of Odili, who was in court to enforce the Court’s order for the release of his seized International passport.
Recall that NIS officials had seized Odili’s passport upon his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, from a trip to the United Kingdom on 20 June, 2021.
Odili had gone to Court to sue the NIS and its Comptroller-General, asking for the return of his passport.
During a sitting last October, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered the release of his passport. Till date, the order has not been complied with and Odilli returned to Court to enforce the order.
But in subsequent sittings, Lawyer to NIS, Jimoh Adamu, absented himself, resulting in the plea by Odilli’s lawyer, Adedayo Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), for a reprimand, saying during Tuesday’s proceedings that the NIS “chose to treat the orders of the Court with levity, contempt and disdain.
“Until lawyers are held accountable, we are not going to make progress in this country,” Mr Adedipe lamented.
In its ruling, the Court held that the NIS and its Comptroller-General were given “reasonable and ample opportunity to comply with the orders of this Court.”
According to the Judge, “The respondents have not complied with the orders of this court to release the international passport of the applicant (Dr Odili) as ordered by this Court.”
“Consequently, I make an order directing the respondents to pay the cost of N2 million to the applicant (Dr Odili) for making the applicant come to Court when they knew that they were not going to be in Court.”
The Court directed the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), one of the respondents, to “take disciplinary action against Jimoh Adamu, who is Lawyer to the respondent, for his unprofessional conduct in the handling of this case.”
The case was adjourned till January 21, 2022.
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