October 15, (THEWILL) – A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered substituted service against Saidi Shittu, a popular Nigerian Islamic blogger, over alleged infringement of the fundamental rights of two Islamic clerics.
Justice Taiwo Olatokun gave the order following the hearing of an ex parte motion filed by Alhaji Olanrewaju Hammed Alfulany and Alhaji Muritala Bolaji (the applicants) through their counsel, Kola Ibrahim.
Ibrahim had informed the court that the processes can not be served on the blogger, who was only present in court once, because he had left the country for Dublin, the United Kingdom (UK) where he resides.
The judge further ruled that the order of substituted service of originating motion and affidavit of urgency filed on the 19th of February, 2021 on Shittu should be served and published in well-known newspapers with the originating process and accompanying documents.
Justice Olatokun also held that the said processes should be pasted on the wall of Shittu’s address: 16, Scott Street, Agarawu, Tom Jones Bus-Stop, Lagos Island.
She thereafter adjourned till October 21, 2021, for report of service.
The applicants had dragged Shittu (3rd respondent), the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, and Inspector Isah Mahmood as 1st and 2nd respondents respectively before the court over what they described as threats of arrest by the 3rd defendant with an intention to embarrass and harass the applicants using the 1st and 2nd respondents as instrument and self help.
In an originating summons in February 2021, filed before the court, the applicants had urged the court to declare “the continuous harassment, intimidation and threat to arrest of the Applicants as unlawful and unconstitutional.
“An order of injunction restraining the Respondents, their agents, privies , servants and officers from further inviting, arresting, detaining the Applicants in any way.”
The applicants had also prayed the court to grant “a reward of five million naira (N5,000,000) against the respondents jointly and severally as exemplary damages for the unwarranted infringement of the applicants’ fundamental rights.
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