‘Ruling!’ Court orders N2m compensation from Immigration for Peter Odili over passport seizure

Freelanews December 21, 2021

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has been fined N2 million by a federal high court in Abuja for refusing to comply with a court order requiring the release of Peter Odili’s travel credentials.

Peter Odili had gone to court to protest the NIS’s seizure of his passport.

He informed the court that NIS personnel took his passport, bearing the number B50031305, shortly after he arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on June 20 for an unidentified reason.

The sitting court, Inyang Ekwo, issued an order on October 18 ordering the NIS to surrender the passport and write an apology to Odili.

Delivering a ruling, Ekwo frowned at the continuous absence of the NIS, stating that it is obvious the service does not want to comply with the order of court.

“This is the second time this matter is coming up after it has been said for the respondent/applicant (NIS) to comply with an order of the court,” the judge said.

“I have given the respondent/applicant ample time to comply with a court order. Today, the respondent/applicant is also not in court.

“Consequently, I make an order directing the respondent/applicant to pay N2 million fine in favour of applicant/respondent (Odili).”

The judge also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to discipline Jimoh Adamu, NIS’s counsel, for his “unprofessional conduct” in handling the matter.

He further ordered Adamu to appear in court on the next postponed date to show cause why he should not be subjected to further sanctions.

The case has been postponed until January 21, 2022, for further consideration.