Court warns DSS, Agip about tactics to stall Ijaw activist's lawsuit regarding alleged illegal detention

The Bayelsa State High Court, located in Yenagoa, issued a warning on Friday to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), advising them against any efforts to prolong the proceedings in the lawsuit initiated by an Ijaw youth activist, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie. The lawsuit pertains to Opumie's alleged unlawful arrest and detention.

The presiding judge, Justice Duke Charlie, issued a cautionary statement to the legal representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Agip, advising them against employing tactics to prolong the court proceedings. The judge further emphasized the need of adhering to all pre-trial procedures, including the submission of relevant legal arguments and applications for the trial.

During the most recent meeting, which took place on Friday, all parties involved in the lawsuit agreed to submit their preliminary petitions in order to formalize their procedures during the pre-trial conference.

The legal representative for the plaintiff, Ebipreye Sese, submitted an application to the court seeking to formalize the claimant's response, which was accompanied by an additional Witness Statement on Oath.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) also implemented measures to formalize its significant change, while the police department submitted their defense.

The legal representative for the Department of State Services (DSS), George Obiora, further informed the court that the agency would encounter difficulties in presenting their witnesses due to his affiliation with a politician participating in the upcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for November 11th of the current year.

The legal representative for Agip informed the court that their presence on future adjourned dates might be hindered by their demanding schedule. Consequently, they requested that the court postpone the proceedings until December, allowing them more time to appropriately prepare.

However, Justice Duke Charlie, the presiding judge, cautioned against any efforts to prolong the court proceedings and therefore postponed the case until November 1st.

In the lawsuit initiated in 2022, the plaintiff, Opumie, sought a total of N9 billion in compensation for the purported unlawful apprehension and confinement endured for a period of 730 days in an undisclosed subterranean establishment in Abuja, as directed by the Agip management.