The federal government on Friday has denied having any knowledge or is involved about the alleged attack on the residence of Popular Yoruba activist, Adeyemo Sunday, otherwise known as Sunday Igboho.
The denial is coming after a court order AGF to pay Sunday igboho the sum of 50,000 over the invasion of his residence in ibadan by DSS operatives.
IThe Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami in an affidavit deposed by one Thomas Etah, who is a civil servant of the Federal Ministry of Justice stated that the DSS operatives acted on its own, and the AGF office is not aware before the alleged invasion
Malami noted that he is neither a security officer or acted in the position of the court.
Malami also denied being a Fulani man contrary to the insinuations being created by Sunday Igboho.
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, twelve others arrested and taken to Abuja as well denied having knowledge of blocking Sunday Igboho’s bank accounts.
Recall that DAILY GIST had reported how Ighoho’s house in Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo state was attacked by the operatives of DSS
The Department of State Services(DSS) confirmed that its responsible for the attack on Sunday Igboho’s house.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya disclosed this in a statement made available to Journalists.
According to Peter, The raid was based on intelligence that Igboho had allegedly stockpiled arms and ammunition in his house.
But Igboho in a statement released by his media aide, Koiki said the weapons paraded by the DSS as recovered from his house did not belong to him.
Igboho noted that the guns found in his house were ‘government magic stating that he used traditional power to protect himself instead rather than guns.
The activist added that there was no prior invitation sent to him by the agency neither was any search warrant used by the officers who invaded his home.
According to him, the invasion at his house was an attempt by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to silence him so the killer-herdsmen, whom he always antagonized, will take over the South-West region.
Following the development, Sunday Igboho had on August 4 heads to Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan,
seeking an order of the court restrainning Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) from arresting, intimidating, harassing and freezing his bank accounts.
He wants the same order for his aides and guests who were arrested and taken to Abuja by the DSS operatives, thus, asking the Court to declare invasion of his Ibadan residence by operatives of DSS on July 1 as illegal and infringement on his fundamental human rights.
But the AGF Malami in an affidavit deposed to on 18th August 2021 by one Thomas Etah, who is a civil servant of the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters, and as a Litigation Officer in the Chambers of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Counsel to the 1st Respondent (Malami) and by virtue of which position he is conversant with the facts deposed herein.
According to the affidavit, “That I have the consent and authority of the 1st Respondent and that of Maimuna Lami Shiru (Mrs), Simon Enock, Abdullahi Abubakar and Elodimuo Ekene (Esq) the counsel in chambers assigned to conduct the defence on behalf of the 1st Respondent (Malami) to depose to this Counter-Affidavit.
“That in the Ibadan Judicial Division, holden at Ibadan, suit no: M/435/2021 between Chief Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho Oosa (Applicant) and the Attorney General of the Federation (1st Respondent), State Security Services (2nd Respondent), Director, State Security Services, Oyo State (3rd Respondent).
“First Respondent’s Counter-Affidavit in opposition to the Applicant’s originating motion on notice dated 22nd July, that I have seen and read the Applicant’s originating processes in this suit.
“That the facts deposed to herein are facts from my own personal knowledge and as well as facts from information supplied to me in the course of preparing the case,
that the 1st 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 1st 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.
“That the 1st Respondent denies paragraph 8(31), (32) and (34) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application and states that the Applicant can only enjoy his freedom of expression, the right of assembly and to own property in his bid for self-determination of his Yoruba race within the ambit or limit of the law. Furthermore, the 1st Respondent did not approach any bank or financial institution in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world to block and/or place no debit on the account of the Applicant.
“The paragraph 8(33) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application represents the truth.
“That the 1st Respondent denies paragraph 8(35), (36), (37) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE and states that the 1st Respondent did not place “fahtwa” on the Applicant or is chasing after the life of the Applicant to be killed on account of the Applicant’s perceived campaign for self determination or for any other reason at all.
“That the acts of the Applicant on account of the fact giving rise to the application as narrated by SAMUEL OJEBODE are acts capable of disintegrating, splitting or dissolving the unit and corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign nation, being acts which hinge on criminality contrary to paragraph 8(38) and (39) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application.
“That the 1st Respondent admits paragraph 9 of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application only to the extent that the letter referred to was in receipt of the 1st Respondent but denies the pecuniary demand or content of the letter. The 1st Respondent did not commit or authorize any security agency to raid and destroy application to warrant the Jet Respondent to award the bogus compensation being sought to the Applicant.
“That the 1st Respondent denies prographs 5, 6 SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application and further 1st Respondent does not know the Applicant or his WhatsApp video number or the incident that led to the WhatsApp video call and sundry issues in the avements in the paragraphs of the affidavit. The averments therein facts within the knowledge of the Deponent Applicant alone.
“That the 1st Respondent denies paragraph R(1), (2), (3), (4), (5),(7 (9) (10) (11), (12), (13) and (14) of the Affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application and states that the 1st Respondent is not security personnel or even ever ordered security officers of any agencies of the country or any part of the world at all to commit the act complained of in the avertments in the paragraph under reference.
“That the 1st Respondent denies paragraph 8(15), (16), (17) 18), (19), (21) (23), (22), (23) and (24) of the affidavit of SAMUEL OJEBODE in support of the application and further reiterate that the 1st Respondent is not a security officer and has not authorized any security officer to commit the acts being complained about in the said paragraphs under reference even as the Respondent is not a Fulani man contrary to the insinuations being created by the Deponent/Applicant.
“That it will be in the interest of justice to dismiss the suit or application in its entirety as it relates to the 1st Respondent.
“That I depose to this Counter-Affidavit in good faith believing the content to be true, correct and in accordance with the Oaths Law of Oyo State currently in force”.
But while the hearing was adjourned till August 30, Justice Akintola maintained that an order restraining the AGF, DSS or any other security agency from arresting or harassing Igboho still subsists till the next adjournment when the substantive case will be determined.
DAILY GIST reported how Sunday Igboho was arrested by security operatives in Cotonou, Benin Republic over immigration related offences.
He has since been remanded inside prison in Benin Republic until next court hearing
