JUST IN: DSS presents Igboho's aides in court, seize photojournalist’s phone

The Department of State Services on Monday presented the aides of Sunday Igboho who were arrested on July 1 at the Federal High Court in Abuja and seized a phone belonging to a Vanguard Photojournalist, Mr Gbenga Olamikan.

The DSS operatives confiscated the phone following Olamikan’s bid to take snapshots of the 12 detained associates of Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, who were brought to court in compliance with the judge’s order.

The aides were arrested when DSS officials raided Igboho’s home on July 1, but have sued on grounds that their fundamental human rights were being infringed on.

A lawyer to the arrested aides, Pelumi Olajenbesi, sued the DSS, claiming that his clients have remained underground for weeks.

Ruling on the suit, Justice Obiora Egwuatu had ordered the DSS to produce the 12 aides on July 29, and show cause why they should not be released on bail in accordance with the provision of Section 32 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015 and other extant laws of the country, but on court day, the DSS failed to honour the directive.

The judge gave the order after Counsel to the applicants, Pelumi Olajengbesi, moved the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/647/2021 dated July 7 and filed July 8.

Egwuatu held that this would enable the court to inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of their arrest and detention.

The judge, who granted the plea of the applicants, through the affidavit of urgency filed on why the matter should be heard expeditiously irrespective of the imminent court vacation, adjourned the matter until July 29.

However, the DSS also failed to bring the detainees before the court on the adjourned date.

The judge issued another order and adjourned the case to August 2.

Egwuatu, who expressed concern over continuous disregard to the court orders by the security outfit, ordered that the 12 applicants be produced in court today.

But when the detainees were being conveyed into the court premises on a bus, photojournalists and cameramen from different media houses took position to take their photographs.

An officer on mufti drew closer to the Vanguard photographer and collected his phone.

The DSS operatives held the phone for over 40 minutes before it was released to the photographer.

This was after Olamikan’s colleagues intervened.

Operatives of the DSS prevented newsmen from taking photographs and videos of the detainees.