The absence of a legal team of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Tuesday stalled the rights enforcement suit filed by a former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, challenging the seizure of his passport by the agency at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
When the matter was called, Mr Odili’s counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN, told the judge, Inyang Ekwo, he was ready to proceed with the hearing.
There was, however, no counsel representing the NIS in court.
The trial judge said since the matter was coming before him for the first time, it was in the interest of justice to give the NIS an opportunity to be present in court.
“This matter is coming before the court for the first time, parties have exchanged pleadings and joined issues, but as the matter came up, the respondents are absent and not represented by counsel. It will be good to give them an opportunity to respond.
“The matter is adjourned at the instance of the respondents, and on the next adjourned date, the process of any party absent in court will be deemed as adopted,” the judge said.
He adjourned the matter till October 5 and ordered that hearing notices be issued to the parties.
The NIS had earlier told the court that the former governor was placed on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A judge of the Federal High Court, Ibrahim Buba, had in 2007 issued a controversial order of perpetual injunction blocking Mr Odili, who was Rivers State governor between 1999 and 2007, from prosecution for corruption allegations levelled against him by the EFCC.
In response to Mr Odili’s fresh fundamental human rights suit challenging the seizure of his passport, NIS said in a counter-affidavit that it took the action because he had been placed on a watchlist based on EFCC’s request.
“The applicant’s passport was seized because he is on the service’s (NIS’) watch list as requested by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC),” the NIS’ counter-affidavit filed through its lawyer, Jimoh Adamu, read in part.
