Politics
Abuja court orders Immigration to release ex-Gov Peter Odili’s passport
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately release the international passport of the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.
Delivering the Judgement on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo declared the seizure by the service as illegal, unconstitutional and an infringement of his fundamental rights.
Furthermore, he ordered NIS to tender an apology to the former governor, and restrained the service from harassing and intimidating the former governor from leaving the country or moving freely within the country.
READ ALSO: We’re going after Peter Odili, his perpetual injunction ‘overtaken by events’ —Magu
According to the judge, the seizure of Odili’s passport was a punitive act and no citizen should be treated in such a manner, irrespective of status.
The former governor had filed a suit against the immigration service challenging the seizure of his passport at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on 20 June 2021, upon his arrival into the country.
The service, however, told the court that it acted based on Mr Odili’s presence on an EFCC corruption watch list.
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