Attorney-general of the federation Abubakar Malami on Wednesday filed an application before an Oyo State High Court praying to vacate the order stopping the arrest and freezing the bank accounts of Yoruba Nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho.
The court had on August 4 granted an ex-parte application by the activist, restraining the Department of State Services (DSS) and the AGF from arresting, intimidating and freezing Sunday Igboho’s account.
The activist’s counsel Yomi Aliyu had informed the court that his client’s life was being threatened after the invasion of his house by the DSS on July 1 where property was damage and an occupant killed.
Other respondents in the suit are the DSS, DSS director, Oyo State and the AGF.
At the resumed hearing of the suit, AGF’s counsel Abdullah Abubakar informed the court he filed a preliminary objection on the matter.
Abubakar said that he could not move the application now because he filed the preliminary objection and other processes in the matter out of time and urged the court to grant him an extension of time.
He said that the delay in filing his processes was not deliberate but due to the fact he was not briefed on the matter at the appropriate time.
The counsel to DSS T.A. Nurudeen informed the court that he has responded to the processes served on him by the applicant’s counsel.
In his response, the applicant’s counsel, Aliyu, said the processes filed by the AGF were incompetent, adding that the respondent has exceed the five days stipulated by the law to respond after the received of the originating summon.
He urged the court not to grant the application, adding that time was of essence in a fundamental human rights suit.
Justice Ladiran Akintola granted the application for extension of time and awarded N50,000 against the respondent.
Akintola said that the order restrained the respondents from arresting, intimidating and freezing Sunday Igboho’s account still subsist until it is vacated by the court.
He adjourned the case until August 30 for the hearing in the application.
