An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday ordered the Department of State Services, DSS, to produce a 28-year-old Secondary School teacher identified as Yusuf Umeiza, who has been in their custody for about two years.
The secret police had arrested Umeiza, a teacher with Divine Academy Secondary School, Inozomi, Okene, in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State, over his alleged link to terrorist group, Islamic States in Iraq and Syria, ISIS.
The trial judge, Justice Babatunde Quadri gave the order while adjourning the matter till September 5, 2015 for hearing in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Omeiza’s lawyer, Leonard Echeruo.
Justice Quadri’s decision to reschedule hearing in the case was informed by the absence of the Director General of the DSS (named as the 1st respondent) in court on Monday.
The 2nd respondent, Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the applicant were represented.
The 28-year-old, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/502/2017, is seeking an order directing DSS to release him unconditionally and declare his continued detention unconstitutional.
Umeiza, who is seeking N20 million compensation from the respondents, also wants the court to restrain the secret police from further arresting him over the allegations.
In a supporting affidavit attached to the suit, Omeiza’s sister, Fati Muhammed said her brother was arrested from his school on October 7, 2015.
Following his arrest, she disclosed that operatives of the secret police searched his apartment but no incriminating material to support the allegations against him was found.
She said the 28-year-old was later taken to Abuja and has since been languishing in DSS custody without being taken to court as required by law.
According to Umeiza’s sister, “I have personally sought for the bail of the applicant which the 1st respondent (DSS) refused to grant.
“The day I saw the applicant at the DSS office, he was looking pale and emaciated, indicating that all is not well with him health wise which he confirmed. The applicant is married with children who have suffered serious emotional, psychological and economic hardship since the arrest of the applicant.”
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