On October 18, 2024, a court in Abuja issued a serious warning to Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS). The court stated that Ajayi could face jail time for failing to follow its orders, specifically by denying Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), access to his lawyers.
The Notice read, “TAKE NOTICE that unless you obey the directions contained in this Order (see overleaf) – by allowing the Applicant’s Counsel to conduct the Court-ordered visitations with the Applicant on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays – you will be guilty of Contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
The court’s notice, signed by the registrar, highlights the DSS’s obligation to comply with a previous ruling that allows Kanu’s lawyers to visit him three times a week. If the DSS Director continues to ignore this order, he could be held in contempt of court and potentially imprisoned.
Kanu’s special counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, confirmed the situation, explaining that the DSS has repeatedly disobeyed the court’s visitation orders. If the Director persists in blocking access to Kanu, the legal team plans to take stronger legal action against him for contempt.
Ejimakor said, “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 (Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi) who has, for almost a month, not allowed Mazi Kanu’s Lawyers to visit him.
“To be clear, this Notice is a quasi-criminal judicial process that forewarns any person disobeying a court order of the penal consequences of such misconduct.
“Therefore, 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.“
Back on May 20, 2024, Justice Binta Nyako had ruled that Kanu should have the right to meet with his lawyers three times weekly. However, Kanu’s lawyers have reported that the DSS has not only recorded their conversations without permission but has also completely denied them access to their client. This obstruction has made it extremely difficult for Kanu’s legal team to prepare a proper defense.
The court ordered that, “He is to be given a safe and “clean” room to be made available to the Defendant at the present facility to prepare for his defence with his team of counsel not exceeding 5 in number.
“That they should be allowed such facility that is required for the preparation of his defence and be allowed to take notes.”
The court’s latest notice aims to enforce compliance from the DSS. If the situation does not improve, serious legal consequences await the DSS Director, highlighting the importance of upholding legal rights and access to counsel.
