April 19, (THEWILL) – Justice Iniekinimi Abraham Uzaka of the Bayelsa State High Court, sitting in Yenagoa, on Tuesday, frowned at the absence of the counsel to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), in the suit filed by the Ijaw Right Activist, Comrade Collins Opumie, over his alleged two-year illegal detention in the secret detention centre of the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS).
According to the plaintiff, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie, the operatives of the DSS, on the alleged prompting of the Security department of the NOAC, falsely accused him of being a threat to the company and was illegally arrested and detained in an underground detention facility in Abuja for two years with no access to medical facilities and family.
Comrade Opumie, in the suit marked YC/324/2022, is demanding the sum of N9 billion in damages and praying the court to declare that his arrest, torture and subsequent detention without proper food and medical attention and access to family members for two years a gross violation of his fundamental right to dignity as a person.
Justice Iniekinimi Abraham Uzaka, at the hearing of the substantive suit, was informed by the Counsels of the Nigerian Police Force and the Plaintiff, Ebipreye Sese, that the Counsels to the DSS and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) were absent.
While the Counsel to the DSS informed the Court that their absence was due to urgent national engagement in Abuja, the Counsel to the NAOC did not tender any explanation to the Court.
Justice Uzaka, however, adjourned the suit till May 4th for a hearing.
Speaking at the end of the Court sitting, Counsel to the Claimant, Ebipreye Sese, noted that despite the adjournment, justice will be dispensed by the Court.
According to him, “Ordinarily, today was for mention and this is the very first time the matter has come before the Court for proceedings to commence, but it was quite unfortunate the DSS advanced a letter for adjournment requesting that the Counsel to DSS has a national assignment and by virtue of that proceedings could not commence. So the matter has been adjourned to the fourth day of May in order for proceedings to commence.
“As a matter of fact, the 1st defendant is Agip and they have not made any attempt to respond and have not even appeared in Court. They have been duly served and I believe they will be in Court on the next adjourned date for justice to be done.”
The Counsel to the 3rd defendant, the Nigerian Police, SP C.S.E Ebete, said that he was comfortable with the next adjourned date.
Also speaking to newsmen shortly after the Court proceedings, the National Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, expressed dismay at how oil companies deliberately undermine the people of the Niger Delta in carrying out their activities.
Ekerefe further said the Ijaw Youth Council will continue to fight against injustice meted out to any Ijaw sons and daughters, adding that the Opumie case is one amongst so many cases of Ijaw youths that have been illegally arrested and detained and nothing has been done.
He expressed dissatisfaction that Agip is handling the matter with levity, stressing that they have been served with the Court proceedings and expressed the hope that by the next adjourned date Agip will appear in Court.
He stated that “for us, it is quite unfortunate that the NAOC that is operating in the Niger Delta region have decided to use their platforms to undermine and carry out unimaginable injustice on the people of Niger Delta region.
“In 2016 Comrade Collins Opumie’s company was among the three companies shortlisted to bid for an AGO supply contract in Agip. And unfortunately, the security manager of Agip called him on phone to negotiate terms because is an Ijaw youth, who believes in the capacity of his company to carry out that job. He insisted on doing the job. Few days later he was whisked by masked security men away in a Gestapo manner to a DSS cell in Abuja for over 2 years.
“Because we don’t believe in taking laws into our hands, the best approach to resolving this matter is through the court and so we are here in solidarity believing strongly that the Court will adjudicate justice on this matter so that Opumie will regain back all he has lost during the process of his incarceration and we are demanding that reparation be paid to Opumie.
“The Ijaw Youths have been mobilised from all the nooks and crannies of Ijaw land and its clans to be part of this procedure. We are particularly interested in this matter because we are very sad about the turn of events, you can’t continue to carry out oil exploration activities on our land and even when opportunities are given to our people you take those opportunities without taking recourse to lay down procedures.
“This a very sad reality, as Ijaw youth council we will continue to demand, we will continue to put pressure, we will continue to fight against injustice and what has clearly played out is an injustice to an Ijaw man. Nobody will be happy that even without committing any crime someone will be whisked away by overzealous security agents to Abuja and taken to their facilities.
“We believe that the best way this matter can be resolved is the law court and Ijaw people are not happy that up till this moment Agip is still handling this matter with levity. The lawyers have served them, and we expect to see them in court, but up to this moment, they are not in court.
“So we are believing in the next adjourned date Agip will send their representative or participate fully. We have confidence in the Judiciary that justice will be dispensed and Comrade Opumie will regain all he has lost during his incarceration.”
