Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) has approached the court to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN and the DSS to pay him the N20.5 billion awarded him as compensation.
This is contained in a release, on Tuesday, by the lead counsel to the Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Yomi Alliyu SAN.
Igboho, who is currently detained in a prison in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, was awarded the amount by an Ibadan High Court as a cost for the midnight invasion and the subsequent damage of his house by some DSS operatives last July.
Recalled that two persons were killed during the invasion while the belongings of Igboho and some other persons were taken away during the invasion.
Justice Ladiran Akintola, in his ruling on 17 September, held that the invasion was illegal, stating that the Yoruba agitator did not violate any part of the Nigerian Constitution by asking for a Yoruba Nation.
However, the secret security agency did not obey the court ruling but, instead, filed an application for stay of execution and an appeal against the judgment.
Igboho, as contained in the statement, filed an objection against the stay of execution and also filed a second application for Garnishee Nisi to compel the CBN to pay him the N20.5billion from the account of the Federal Government with the apex bank.
According to Chief Alliyu, neither the appeal nor stay of execution application affects an application for garnishee.
At the sitting on Monday, the court agreed and granted the garnishee order and the matter was adjourned CBN 12 January, 2022 to allow the CBN to explain why the court should not make the garnishee order absolute.
The DSS, in its motion for stay of execution of the N20.5billion damages awarded Igboho, argued that paying the huge sum would plunge Nigeria into further economic woes.
The secret security agency further claimed that it would make the eventual judgment of appeal of little or no effect, if the court-ordered damages is paid now.
The DSS also argued that Igboho is currently a fugitive in Republic of Benin and may not be able to refund the huge sum, should the judgment of the Appeal Court nullify the award.
However Alliyu faulted the position of the DSS, saying the national budgets of the country have been in trillions of naira in recent years.
He also pointed out that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), under which the DSS operates, has an annual budget of N136 billion and that it can thus afford to pay the N20.5 billion cost of damages awarded by the Ibadan High Court against him.
Alliyu, Igboho’s lead counsel, also faulted the assertion by the DSS that Igboho is a fugitive, saying such a stance amounted to a contempt of the court which had, in its 17 September judgment declared him free of violating any constitutional provisions by agitating for a Yoruba Nation.
