The suit between the Yoruba nation agitator and activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and the Department of State Security Services (DSS) over the invasion of his Ibadan residence by DSS has taken another dimension as the AGF has denied having knowledge of the invasion, saying he is neither a security officer nor acted in position of the court.
Malami also denied being a Fulani man contrary to the insinuations being created by Sunday Igboho.
Malami maintained that the DSS acted alone without his knowledge in the invasion of Sunday Igboho’s residence where two of his aides were killed, 12 others arrested and taken to Abuja. He as well denied having knowledge of blocking Sunday Igboho’s bank accounts.
It would be recalled that Sunday Igboho had on August 4 approached Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, seeking an order of the court restraining Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) from arresting, intimidating, harassing and freezing of his bank accounts.
Igboho wants the same order for his aides and guests who were arrested and taken to Abuja by the DSS men, asking the Court to declare invasion of his Ibadan residence by operatives of DSS on July 1 and infringement on his fundamental human rights as illegal.
But the AGF Malami, in an affidavit deposed to on 18th August, 2021 by one Thomas Etah, a civil servant of the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters, and as a Litigation Officer in the Chambers of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Counsel to the 1st Respondent (Malami) denied the claims.
According to the affidavit, “That I have the consent and authority of the 1st Respondent and that of Maimuna Lami Shiru (Mrs), Simon Enock, Abdullahi Abubakar and Elodimuo Ekene (Esq) the counsel in chambers assigned to conduct the defence on behalf of the 1st Respondent (Malami) to depose to this Counter-Affidavit.
“That in the Ibadand Judicial Division, holden at Ibadan, suit no: M/435/2021 between Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho Oosa (Applicant) and the Attorney General of the Federation (1st Respondent), State Security Services (2nd Respondent), Director, State Security Services, Oyo State (3rd Respondent).
“First Respondent’s Counter-Affidavit in opposition to the Applicant’s originating motion on notice dated 22nd July that I have seen and read the Applicant’s originating processes in this suit.
“That the facts deposed to herein are facts from my own personal knowledge and as well as facts from information supplied to me in the course of preparing the case, that the 1st Respondent denies paragraph 8(28), (29), (30) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE and states that contrary to the insinuation of the applicant to the effect, the 1st Respondent who is not a security officer has been severally stated above, he did not participate in the commission of the acts being complained of or came back to Abuja and assumed the role of a judge or conducted any media trial.
“That the 1st Respondent denies paragraph 8(31), (32) and (34) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application and states that the Applicant can only enjoy his freedom of expression, the right of assembly and to own property in his bid for self-determination of his Yoruba race within the ambit or limit of the law. Furthermore, the 1st Respondent did not approach any bank or financial institution in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world to block and/or place no debit on the account of the Applicant.”
[Independent]
