The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a notice against the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, threatening imprisonment if he continues to deny Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), access to his lawyers.
The court’s notice, dated October 18, 2024, warns that Ajayi could be held in contempt if he persists in disobeying court orders. The notice stipulates that Kanu’s lawyers must be allowed to conduct court-ordered visitations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
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The notice reads, “TAKE NOTICE that unless you obey the directions contained in this Order... you will be guilty of Contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the court’s action, stating that it was prompted by the DSS’s consistent refusal to permit Kanu’s lawyers to visit him as mandated by the court.
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Ejimakor warned that if the DSS Director continues to deny access, the legal team would have no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings against him.
“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. For almost a month, Mazi Kanu’s lawyers have not been allowed to visit him,” he said.
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Ejimakor explained that this notice serves as a quasi-criminal judicial process, warning those disobeying court orders of potential penal consequences. He added, “If the Director-General of DSS persists on this ignoble path, he will leave us with no other option than to commence vigorous contempt proceedings against him.”
Justice Binta Nyako had previously issued an order on May 20, 2024, allowing Kanu three visitation days per week and stipulating that he should be provided with a safe and clean room to prepare for his defence with up to five counsel.
However, Kanu’s legal team has raised concerns about the DSS’s actions, stating that they have transitioned from secretly recording conversations with Kanu to completely denying access, severely hampering their ability to prepare for his defence.
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