The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa on Friday cautioned the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) against attempts to delay hearing in the suit filed by an Ijaw Youth Activist, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie over his illegal arrest and detention in an underground detention facilities in Abuja for over 730 days.
The Presiding judge, Justice Duke Charlie warned the counsels of the DSS, George Obiora Esq, and Counsel to Agip, Barr. Sonia to stop attempts to delay the time of the court and adopt all pre-trial addresses and all application processes for the trial.
At the last hearing held on Friday, Justice Duke Charlie has had all parties to the suit adopt their preliminary applications to regularise their processes at the pre-trial conference.
The matter is slated for definite hearing for claimant to open his case on the adjourned date of November 1st.
The claimant counsel Barr. Ebipreye Sese brought an application before the court to regularise the claimant’s reply attached with the claimant’s further witness statement on oath to the 1st & 2nd defendants statement of defence.
The DSS also applied to regularise their consequential amendment and the police filed their defence.
While the counsel to the DSS, George Obiora Esq, also told the court that they may not be able to produce their witness because he is attached to a politician involved in the governorship election slated for November 11th this year.
The counsel to Agip, Ms. Sonia Esq told the court that they may also fail to appear on adjourned dates due to the busy nature of their diary and pleaded that the court adjourn till December to afford them time to prepare adequately.
But the presiding Judge, Justice Duke Charlie warned against the attempts to delay the court and he adjourned on till Nov. 1st.
The plaintiff, Ijaw Youth Activist, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie is expected to present witnesses at the resumed trial.
While the 1st set of Defendant Agip, 2nd set of Defendant DSS & 3rd set of Defendant Police to open their defence on the 3rd of November the 2nd and 3rd November for the DSS and Nigerian Agip oil Company (NAOC) to also present witnesses.
Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie had in the suit number YHC/324/2022, demanded for the sum of N9billion in damages against his illegal arrest and detention in an underground detention facilities in Abuja for 730 days as allegedly ordered by officials of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
Barr. Sese, counsel to the plaintiff, stated that the case against the DSS Agip & the Police is for false Imprisonment for two years at the instance of Agip’s false and malicious complaints/ reports against the claimant and malicious prosecution without a probable cause which ended in favour of the claimant.
He is also 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 years under the custody of the DSS (2nd defendants) in their prison facilities without bail or arraignment in a court of law at the instance of the Agip (1st defendants) false and malicious complaints/reports against him”
“ An injunction restraining the 2nd and 3rd defendants from further harassing or attempting to arrest and detain the claimant at the instance of the 1st set of defendants.”
Opumie, who is an indigene of Opuama community in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state is among Niger Delta Youths that embraced the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).
In his statement of claims, he accused the DSS in Yenagoa of allegedly abducting him at the instance of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in a gestapo style, physically and mentally torturing him, tied and threw him into the boot of a vehicle and took him to Abuja like a common criminal without the knowledge of his family and access to medical care.
