FG’s Penchant for Disobeying Court Orders

Notes for File

The rate at which the agencies of the federal government disobey court orders and judgments under the current administration is really a cause for concern.

Whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, police, Department of State Services (DSS), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or some parastarals, the story is just the same.

To know that the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has joined the fray is not only perplexing and baffling, but shows how irredeemable the situation is.

On October 18, 2021 Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the NIS to return the seized international passport of former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, to him. The judge held that the seizure of the passport in the first place in June was unlawful.

However, 38 days after the initial directive, the NIS was yet to comply, making the court to renew the order. This time, it gave the NIS a five-day ultimatum to comply with its directive.

Recall that shortly after the October 18 judgment, the NIS through its lawyer, Ibrahim Etsu, had filed an application seeking an order staying the execution of the judgment, pending the determination of their appeal.

But after listening to the arguments of Etsu last Wednesday, the judge said the court would only hear the application on the condition that the applicants, the NIS and its Comptroller General, first comply with the directive by releasing Odili’s passport and depositing it with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court within five days.

What is really difficult in obeying a simple court order if not that some persons in high places just want to use their positions to embarrass others?

What the NIS has done has further confirmed the government’s penchant for disobeying court orders.

What is clearly playing out shows how members of the opposition are treated in the country where those who are standing trial for corruption have had their charges dropped because they simply defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and their “sins” forgiven.

Some questions for the NIS are: Can they tell Nigerians why they are still holding on to the passport despite a court order against their action? How will holding on to Odili’s passport benefit the Nigerian people? What is NIS trying to prove?