Following the seizure of the International Passport of former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili by the Nigerian Immigration Service and the directive by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for an immediate turn of same to him, the court has threatened to sanction NIS for refusal to comply to the directive. Justice Inyang Ekwo who issued the warning to a senior lawyer with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Jimoh Adamu said the court will invoke its power if he refuse to appear to defend accusations of professional misconduct laid against him by Odili’s counsel. The Judge said the NIS counsel has until February 7 to appear before the court unfailingly to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for refusing to release the International Passport of Peter Odili seized unlawfully by the agency. After the court judgement in favour of Odili, the immigration through its counsel filed a motion on stay of execution of the judgment. During the court proceedings, Odili’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe recalled that an order was issued on December 21, 2021 directing that the Immigration’s senior lawyer appears in court but for the second time Adamu who was not in court bluntly refused to release the passport as ordered by the court. Adedipe noted that NIS lawyer failed to obey a subsisting order of the court that the passport be deposited with the Registrar of the court pending the hearing of his motion for stay of execution adding that the Immigration’s lawyer has consistently failed to attend court despite being served with hearing notice in relation to his pending motion. Odili’s counsel however, urged the court to among others, penalise Adamu for disrespecting the court and treating it with contempt. But Babagana Abba, a counsel who claimed to be a colleague of Adamu apologized for his absence stating illness as the reason for the delay. An unimpressed Justice Ekwo said in the interest of fair hearing, the lawyer would be given another opportunity. It would be recalled that the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Nigerian Immigration Service and its Comptroller General challenging the unlawful seizure of his international passport by the service.
