Court frowns at NIS’ refusal to release ex- Gov Odili’s international passport, 37 days after, gives fresh order

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has yet to release the international passport of former Rivers State governor, Dr Peter Odili to him, 37 days after a Federal High Court, Abuja, made the order.

A Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo had on October 18, following the findings by the court that Odili’s passport was unlawfully seized from Odili in July this year, ordered the passport be released to him.

However, on Tuesday, the Immigration returned to the same court, seeking an order to stay execution of the judgment earlier delivered in favour of the former Rivers State governor.

Represented by a counsel, Ibrahim Etsu, the Immigration Service informed the court of its intention to challenge the judgment of the court at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.

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However infuriated by the contemptuous action of the Immigration, Justice Ekwo issued a fresh order directing the agency to bring the contentious passport before the court and deposit it with the Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation of the court.

The Judge held that the application for stay of the October 18 judgment would not be entertained by his court since the Immigration Service was already in contempt of the court with the refusal to release the passport as directed.

Justice Ekwo then gave the Immigration up till December 12 to purge itself of the contempt by depositing the passport with the court registrar to qualify to be heard on the motion for stay.

The judge had in his judgment of October 18 held that the action of Immigration Service in seizing the passport was not only unlawful but also illegal, unconstitutional and ultra vires.

Justice Ekwo in the judgment in a suit filed by Odili to challenge the seizure of the passport had upheld the submission of his counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN) that the Immigration and its Comptroller General lacked the constitutional powers to do what they did.

The reason adduced by Immigration that Odili’s passport was impounded because he was on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to justify the passport seizure was rejected by the court on the grounds that such use of power is not known to any law in the country.

While ordering that the passport with numbers B5003305 be immediately returned to the former governor, Justice Ekwo had ordered Immigration to tender apology to Odili in writing for the embarrassment caused him with the seizure of his passport.

Justice Ekwo had thereafter granted order of perpetual injunction against Immigration restraining it and its agents from harassing, intimidating or infringing on the fundamental rights of Odili to freedom of movement inside or outside Nigeria.