The Department of State Services, DSS, on Thursday, again, failed to produce in the 12 detained aides of the embattled Yoruba Nation agitator, Mr. Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Sunday Igboho, despite subsisting court order bring him.
This would be the second time the secret police would be defiling the order of court concerning the persons who have been detained since July 2, 2021.
The honourable Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had ordered the DSS to produce the 12 aides in court on July 29, having resolved to proceed with the case notwithstanding the annual court vacation scheduled to start on July 26.
But the case was stalled again on Thursday following the refusal of the DSS to produce them in court. This prompted Justice Egwatu to issue another order telling the DSS to produce the 12 aides on Monday, August 2, 2021.
An obviously angry Justice Egwatu warned that when a court of competent jurisdiction issues an order, it must be respected and obeyed.
But counsel to the DSS, Mr. David Awo, explained that the Service never intended to disobey the court but the situation was necessitated by the fact that most of the 12 aides were no longer in DSS custody as they had been taken away for verification of facts.
Awo assured that since the Service never intended to keep the persons indefinitely, they would be released once investigations are completed.
Counsel to the detained persons, Mr. Pelumi Olajenbasi, was not impressed by that position. Consequently, he prayed the court to sanction the DSS for what he termed as a deliberate act of disrespect.
He also asked the court to order the DSS to release his clients on bail and grant him unfettered access to them.
Justice Egwatu granted one of the prayers ordering the DSS to allow the Counsel to see them between toda, Thursday, and the next adjourned date (Monday).
The suspects had earlier sued the DSS before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on grounds that their fundamental human rights had been infringed.
