The Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, has been summoned by the Federal High Court in Abuja, over alleged contempt of court linked to the detention of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The court order, dated October 24, 2024, commands Ajayi to appear and explain why he should not be committed to prison for defying a previous court ruling.
The issue at hand revolves around the DSS’ refusal to comply with a court order that mandated the agency to allow Kanu’s lawyers three-day visitation rights each week at the DSS facility in Abuja.
This visitation is crucial for Kanu to adequately prepare his defence, however, according to court documents, Kanu’s legal team, led by Aloy Ejimakor Esq., was denied access to their client on October 22, under directives purportedly issued by Ajayi.
The notice explicitly stated, “You are hereby required to attend the court on the first mentioned day to show cause why an order for your committal should not be made.”
This legal development further intensifies the ongoing judicial proceedings surrounding Kanu, who faces a seven-count charge of treasonable felony.
Previously, on September 24, Kanu had petitioned Justice Binta Nyako, the presiding judge, to recuse herself from his case, citing biases. Despite this, the matter was reassigned to continue under the same judge.
The summons was also served on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), alongside the prosecution counsel for the federal government, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
