April 30, (THEWILL) – The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has fixed May 9, 2024, for the adoption of final written addresses in the suit filed by a youth activist, Comrade Collins Opumie, against the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NOAC) over his illegal arrest and detention for over two years.
The presiding Judge, Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie, while adjourning to May 9 based on the plea for one more adjourned date for the preparation of the final address and argument by the 1st defendant, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, warned against any attempt to delay the suit.
According to the Court, all parties in the suit numbered YHC/324/2022 against the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the Department of State Security (DSS) were supposed to submit their final addresses and argue their position based on law.
However, the Counsel to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) pleaded with the Court for one more adjournment date for their final address to be ready, which the Court granted.
The Bayelsa youth activist, Comrade Opumie, had filed a suit against his illegal arrest and detention, demanding the sum of N9 billion as damages.
He also prayed to the court to declare that his arrest, torture and subsequent detention without proper food, medical attention and access to family members for two years was false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
In his eight prayers before the Court, Opumie sought the order of the court against the defendants jointly and severally “for damages suffered as a result of the false imprisonment for two (2) years under the custody of the DSS (2nd set of defendants) in their prison facilities without bail or arraignment in a court of law at the instance of the Agip (1st set of defendants) false and malicious complaints/reports against him.
“An injunction restraining the 2nd and 3rd set of defendants from further harassing or attempting to arrest and detain the claimant at the instance of the 1st set of defendants.”
Opumie, who is an indigene of Opuama Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the State and one of the Niger Delta Youths who embraced the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), in his statement of claims, accused the DSS in Yenagoa of allegedly abducting him at the instance of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in a Gestapo style.
He said he was physically and mentally tortured, tied and thrown into the boot of a vehicle and taken to Abuja like a common criminal without the knowledge of his family and access to medical care.
About the Author
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
