The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a stern warning to the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, threatening him with imprisonment for allegedly obstructing Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team from gaining access to their client. The court accused the DSS of violating a previous ruling that mandated routine visits by Kanu’s lawyers.
In a Notice of Consequences served on Friday, October 18, 2024, the court stated that unless the DSS complied with the order granting Kanu’s legal team access on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the DSS Director-General could face contempt charges and subsequent imprisonment. This development was confirmed by Kanu’s lead counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who revealed that the court’s registrar had delivered the notice to Ajayi.
Ejimakor expressed frustration over the DSS’s persistent refusal to obey the court’s ruling. “This Notice is necessitated by the repeated disobedience of the court-ordered visitation of Mazi Kanu by the newly appointed Director-General of the State Security Services, who has, for almost a month, not allowed Mazi Kanu’s Lawyers to visit him,” Ejimakor’s statement read.
The court’s warning is part of a larger legal battle between the Nigerian government and Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose detention and trial have been mired in controversy. Kanu, who has been in DSS custody since his re-arrest in 2021, is facing multiple charges, including treason.
The Notice of Consequences is a prelude to possible contempt proceedings, which Ejimakor warned would be vigorously pursued if the DSS fails to comply. According to the notice: “TAKE NOTICE that unless you obey the directions contained in this Order – by allowing the Applicant’s Counsel to conduct the Court-ordered visitations with the Applicant on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays – you will be guilty of Contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
This latest development highlights the ongoing tensions between Kanu’s legal team and the Nigerian government, as accusations of human rights violations and disregard for court orders continue to escalate.
Observers are closely watching how the DSS will respond, with many calling for greater respect for judicial processes and the rule of law in handling sensitive cases such as Kanu’s.
