Malami denies knowledge of DSS’ invasion of Igboho’s home

The fallout from the invasion of the Ibadan residence of the Yoruba self-acclaimed activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho, by the men of the Department of State Services (DSS) rages as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, has denied authorising the invasion.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that the invasion of the Ibadan home of Igboho by the security agency led to the death of two people.

Malami maintained that the DSS acted alone without his knowledge in the inva­sion of Sunday Igboho’s residence where two of his aides were killed, 12 others arrested and taken to Abu­ja. He as well denied having knowledge of blocking Sun­day Igboho’s bank accounts.

However, Igboho approached the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on August 4, seeking an order of the court to restrain the DSS and the AGF from arresting, intimidating, harassing, and freezing his bank accounts.

Read also: Court awards Sunday Igboho ₦50,000 in case against Malami, DSS

In response, the AGF, in an affidavit deposed on August 18, 2021, by one Thomas Etah, who is a staff of the Federal Ministry of Justice headquarters, and as a litigation officer, argued, “I have the consent and authority of the first respondent (Malami) and that of Maimuna Lami Shiru (Mrs), Simon Enock, Abdullahi Abubakar and Elodimuo Ekene, the counsel in chambers assigned to conduct the defence on behalf of the first respondent (Malami) to depose to this counter-affidavit.

“That the facts deposed to herein are from my own personal knowledge and as well as facts from information supplied to me in the course of preparing the case, that the first respondent denies paragraph 8(28), (29), (30) of the affidavit of Samuel Ojebode and states that contrary to the insinuation of the applicant to the effect, the first respondent, who is not a security officer as has been severally stated above, he did not participate in the commission of the acts being complained of or came back to Abuja and assumed the role of a judge or conducted any media trial,” Etah deposed.

Justice adjourned the hearing till August 30, while ruling that an order restraining the AGF, DSS or any other security agency from arresting or harassing Igboho still subsists.

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