The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has released the international passport it seized from a former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.
NIS’ lawyer, Jimoh Adamu told a Federal High Court in Abuja that Odili’s daughter, Njideka Nwosu-Iheme, a serving judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), collected the passport for her father on December 20 last year at the Immigration headquarters in Abuja.
Adamu, in a motion, filed exhibited a letter of request by Odili and other evidence showing that he has received the passport.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, before whom the case came up on Monday, noted that the fresh motion was not yet before the court.
Earlier in October 2021, Justice Ekwo ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to immediately release Odili’s international passport.
He declared the seizure by the service as illegal, unconstitutional, and an infringement of his fundamental rights.
The judge further ordered the service, to tender an apology to the former governor, and restrained the NIS from harassing and intimidating him from leaving the country or moving freely within the country.
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