An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan will on Friday deliver judgement or ruling on the N500 billion fundamental human rights case instituted by the Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho against the Nigerian Government and Department of State Services (DSS).

Meanwhile, the supporters of the agitator are eagerly awaiting the ruling or judgement of the court on the matter, UGAMATV has learnt. 

Igboho through his lawyer, Yomi Alliyu, filed a suit challenging the invasion of his house in Ibadan on July 1 by operatives of the DSS, also known as the State Security Service (SSS) or secret police.

Igboho is, among others, seeking an order of the court to declare the invasion of his residence by DSS operatives as illegal and an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

The three respondents are Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as the first respondent, SSS as the second respondent and Director of SSS in Oyo State as the third respondent.

The court had said on the last adjournment date that the case would be for ruling if the preliminary objections raised by the three respondents in the case succeeded, but would be for judgment if the objections failed in the case marked as M/435/2021.

The respondents raised preliminary objections that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case. But the court decided to hear both the preliminary objections and the substantive case together, which made the counsel for the parties open their addresses and conclude the same during the last proceedings on September 7.

During the last proceedings, lead counsel for Igboho, Alliyu, and counsel for the second and third respondents, T. A. Nurudeen, presented video exhibits to support their written addresses.
 
But Malami, through his counsel, Abdullahi Abubakar, told the court that he was not involved in the raid conducted by the SSS on Igboho’s residence, adding that he was not a security officer. 
He stated that the SSS did not inform him before carrying out the raid and that he is not Fulani as alleged by Igboho.

The submissions were contained in an affidavit, deposed to on August 18, 2021 by one Thomas Etah, who is a civil servant at the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters, Abuja, which was filed before Akintola in the case of fundamental human rights filed by Igboho.

“The first respondent is not a security officer and has not authorised any security officer to commit the acts, being complained about, even as the respondent is not a Fulani man, contrary to the insinuations being created by the Deponent/Applicant. That it will be in the interest of justice to dismiss the suit or application in its entirety as it relates to the 1st respondent,” the affidavit read in part.

The case, which first came up before Justice Akintola on August 4, had witnessed several adjournments as well as a restraining order against the respondents and their privies not to arrest, harass, intimidate and freeze bank account of Igboho, pending the final determination of the case. 

The injunction followed ex parte motion moved by the lead counsel for Igboho at the commencement of the suit. The restraining order was extended on each day of resumed hearing on the request of Igboho’s counsel.