The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday fined the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) N2 million for failing to comply with its order to release the passport of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.
The court also ordered the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice Abubakar Malami to discipline NIS counsel Jimoh Adamu for “unprofessional conduct.”
In his ruling on an application filed by Ifedayo Adedipe, lawyer to Mr Odili, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Adamu to appear before the court on January 21 to show cause why he should not be further penalised.
Adedipe had urged the court to, among others, penalise Adamu for disrespecting the court and treating it with contempt.
Adamu has been representing the NIS and its director-general in a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Odili, with which he challenged the seizure of his international passport by the NIS.
Adedipe noted that Adamu has failed to obey a subsisting order that the passport be deposited with the registrar of the court pending the hearing of his motion for stay of execution.
He added that Adamu has consistently failed to attend court despite being served with hearing notices on his pending motion.
