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The Federal High Court in Abuja will on Monday begin hearing a suit seeking to compel the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to disclose documents evidencing the claim by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that he completed the mandatory one-year national service.
The plaintiff, the Incorporated Trustees of Pathway to Equity and Charity Foundation, is also asking the court for an order of mandamus directing the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the second respondent, to produce records showing that the minister carried out his primary assignment with it.
In the motion on notice, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1812/2026, the applicant is asking the NYSC to produce the following documents:
the mobilisation or call-up letter issued to Tunji-Ojo in 2006 or any other year;
the posting letter to the FCTA in 2006 or any other year; his application for mobilisation; evidence of approval of his remobilisation by the Director-General;
evidence of payment of allowances to him; his “book of life” kept for each corps member; the record of his Community Development Service; and
the discharge certificate issued to him.
From the FCTA, the applicant is seeking the mobilisation or call-up letter, the posting letter, his attendance record during the service year, evidence of payment of any allowance to him, and the record of his Community Development Service.
The motion, filed by the applicant’s counsel, Chief Solomon Akuma (SAN), was brought pursuant to Section 14 of the Federal High Court Act, Order 34 Rules 1, 2 and 5 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, and Sections 20, 21 and 25 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 2011.
It followed the leave granted by Justice Salim Ibrahim on October 5, 2026, allowing the applicant to commence the action against the respondents.
In a 25-paragraph affidavit in support, the deponent, Uchenna Ejimafor, who is Chairman of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, described the group as a non-governmental organisation whose objectives include exposing documents and reporting cases of corruption, bribery and abuse of office in public and private institutions in Nigeria.
Ejimafor averred that the minister had presented himself to the public as having completed the one-year national service organised by the NYSC, the first respondent, and as having carried out his primary assignment with the FCTA in 2006 or another year.
He claimed, however, that the applicant’s discreet investigation revealed that Tunji-Ojo did not undertake the mandatory service in 2006 or any other year with the FCTA.
According to the affidavit, the applicant, through its solicitors, requested the documents from the respondents in order to verify its findings, but they refused to release them. It added that the FOI Act obliges the respondents to provide such documents within seven days of receiving a request, but they failed, refused or neglected to do so.
Ejimafor therefore contended that, unless compelled by the court, the respondents would not make the documents available.
The controversy over the minister’s NYSC certificate drew a response from the NYSC in a letter dated August 8, 2023. Signed by one Fasakin B. A. on behalf of the Director-General, the letter stated that Tunji-Ojo was mobilised for service in 2006 and deployed to the FCT, but later absconded from the scheme.
It said he resurfaced in 2019, underwent remobilisation, and was posted to the FCDA for his primary assignment. His certificate was not available at the passing-out because his name was omitted from the certificate printing application.
The letter added that the minister applied for his certificate through the FCT State Coordinator on October 18, 2022, and that the coordinator forwarded the application to the NYSC headquarters. His certificate, No. A004523631, was produced on February 28, 2023, for collection.
