COUNSEL for Department of States Services (DSS), I. Awo, today, told the Federal High Court that he could not continue hearing in a case instituted against the DSS by 12 supporters of Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho.
Awo told Justice Onuoha Egwuatu that the file for the case had been stolen by armed robbers.
He told the court that a gang of mobile armed robbers commonly known as ‘One Chance’, hijacked the case file, and implored the court to adjourn further proceedings on the matter till a later date.
He explained that the ‘One-Chance’ thieves snatched the case file from his colleague who unknowingly boarded their vehicle.
Earlier in the proceedings, the counsel to Igboho‘s associates, David Olowoniwa Esq, had claimed in his amended originating summons that his clients committed no offense to warrant their harassment and intimidation by state actors.
Olowoniwa prayed the court to make “an order granting the sum of N100,000,000 only being aggravated and exemplary damages against the Respondent in favour of the Applicants for the serial breach of their constitutional rights.”
However, the case couldn’t go on because Awo explained the robbery incident which culminated in the unavailabilty of the case file.
He confirmed receiving the applicants’ processes but added that he was helpless going by the unfortunate incident.
Awo assured that he would get another certified true copy of his processes from the registry so as to effectively challenge the human rights suit.
“Indeed we were served with applicant processes and we filed our counter-affidavit on the 6th day of September
“Unfortunately, on the 7th of September, my colleague who is supposed to appear with me in the matter was asked to bring the file to court.
“While on our way home yesterday, she boarded a vehicle being owned by robbers popularly known as One Chance and she was dispossessed of all her belonging including the processes.
“This morning I wrote a letter to the court for a certified true copy for the respondent’s counter-affidavit.
“Once they give us, we will serve the applicants. That’s the circumstance we find ourselves in,” Awo said.
Awo urged the court to adjourn the case in view of what transpired.
In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu ordered a reassignment of the case file at the registry since the Federal High Court would return from vacation on September 20.
