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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie of the Bayelsa State High Court on Friday warned the Department of State Security (DSS) against the use of delay tactics in the illegal detention suit filed by the Bayelsa youth activist, Collins Trueman Opumie.
Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie also warned that henceforth, all parties in the suit numbered YHC/324/2022 against the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the Department of the State Security (DSS) must be present in court on the next adjourned date or face a fine of N500,000.
The presiding judge, who made this known after hearing the cross examination of Collins Trueman Opumie by the Police counsel.
The Judge also overruled the applications by the Police and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Counsels to allow them call additional witnesses due to the absence of the DSS counsel in court.
He turned down the application by the police to open their case and call their witness on grounds that all the Defendants are to open their case and close the same day.
The claimant, Collins Trueman Opumie, has however closed his cases against the three defendants, the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and the DSS.
The presiding Judge, Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie, after the conclusion of cross examination from the Police adjourned the suit till February 12th, 2024.
Speaking at the end of the court sitting, the Counsel to the Claimant, Ebipreye Sese assured that his client, Collins Trueman Opumie believes the court is his last resort to get justice over his alleged arrest and detention in an underground detention facilities in Abuja for 730 days by the Department of State Security (DSS).
He praying the court to declare that his arrest, torture and subsequent detention without proper food and medical attention and access to family members for two years for false Imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
In his eight prayers before the Court, Opumie sought the order of the court against the defendants jointly and severally “for damages suffered as a result of the false imprisonment for two (2) years under the custody of the DSS (2nd set of defendants) in their prison facilities without bail or arraignment in a court of law at the instance of the Agip (1st set of defendants) false and malicious complaints/reports against him.”
