A Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State on Thursday awarded N10 million against the Department of State Services (DSS) over a SIM card controversy lawsuit involving Hanan Buhari, daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Anthony Okolie, a trader, had sued Hanan, DSS, and telecoms firm, MTN, for N500 million, alleging abuse of his rights.
Mr Okolie was detained for 10 weeks after his arrest on July 19, 2019, in Asaba for using a telephone line that was previously owned by Hanan.
Hanan’s lawyer, M.E. Sheriff, had countered the DSS’s 35-paragraph affidavit which stated that it acted on an official letter of instruction from the presidency dated July 5, 2019.
Sheriff said in a counter-affidavit that although the MTN SIM card in question was once used by Hanan “but she did not order the SSS to arrest Mr Okolie.”
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba had earlier been scheduled to give judgement on the matter on March 3 but could not due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
However, on Thursday, he awarded the sum of N10 million against DSS for the abuse of Okolie’s fundamental human rights.
He said there was no substantial evidence again Hanan and MTN.
