‘Respect rule of law’ — lawyer asks DSS to release detained Igboho supporters

Yomi Alliyu, counsel to Sunday Adeyemo, a youth leader better known as Sunday Igboho, has asked the Department of State Services (DSS) to release the detained supporters of the youth leader.

DSS operatives had, on July 1, raided Igboho’s residence in Oyo and arrested 12 of his supporters.

The arrested supporters were moved to the federal capital territory (FCT), where they have been in detention.

Obiora Egwatu, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, had granted bail to the supporters.

The DSS has, however, filed an appeal challenging the bail granted to the released persons.

In a statement issued on Friday, Alliyu said the DSS risks being in contempt of court if the agency refuses to release the detained persons.

“After being detained for over 53 days, their bail conditions were perfected and the court ordered the release of our clients; 12 in number. On approaching the SSS office for the release of these innocent Nigerians, SSS said they couldn’t release them because another person had served another process on them to release the same set of people,” the lawyer said.

“SSS is therefore equating a filed process not assigned to any court to the order of court validly enrolled and signed by a judge of Federal High Court. In any case, what was allegedly filed was for the release of our clients.

“The whole world knows that I was the one briefed directly by Sunday Adeyemo. I caused an action to be filed and it was done and judgment delivered. To hide under any guise will not only amount to contempt of court, but will definitely earn whoever is their legal adviser a day before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

“We implore all law abiding citizens and the international community to condemn outrightly the impunity that is now becoming the order of the day with security agencies in Nigeria.

“We urge the SSS to respect the rule of law and judgement of our courts.”