Justice Ladiran Akintola of Oyo State High Court 7 has declined a formal request by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) for the lifting of the order restraining him and security agencies from arresting or harassing Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) pending the determination of the lawsuit.
The judge declined the application during yesterday’s sitting when it was raised by Malami’s lawyers.
The lawyers had requested that the court lifted the order because it was an interim injunction which should not last longer than seven days.
The order was issued on August 4.
But the judge posited that vacating the order could render the eventual judgment in the suit nugatory should Igboho be killed before the judgment is given.
He extended the order till the next date of hearing.
The Counsel to the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. T. A. Nurudeen, later requested for an adjournment to enable him file his further affidavit to the counter-affidavit filed by Igboho’s lead counsel, Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN), on the preliminary objection raised by Malami that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Alliyu initially objected against this position, saying rules of court only allow parties five days to file their reply, being a fundamental human rights enforcement procedure suit.
But the judge ruled that the respondents could still ask for more time since Nurudeen proved that he had not been officially served the counter-affidavit.
The court adjourned till September 7 for hearing.
Addressing reporters, Alliyu said his team was more concerned about the plight of their clients being held by the DSS in Abuja against court order.
Also, the DSS has released eight of the detained 12 associates of Sunday Igboho.
According to their lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the eight were released in the afternoon on Monday.
He said the detainees’ legal team, which he heads, was working to get the remaining four out today.
Those released are: Abdulateef Onaolapo, Tajudeen Erinoye, Diekola Jubril, Ayobami Donald, Uthman Adelabu, Oluwafemi Kunle, Raji Kazeem and Bamidele Sunday.
During a talk with reporters on Monday in Abuja, Olajengbesi stated that his team did not intend to pre-empt the DSS in handling the case of the remaining four.
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