Court Dismisses Dr. Obadiah Mailafia Suit, Orders Him To Honour NPF Invitation

Yakubu Busari

High Court of Justice, Plateau State on Tuesday has dismissed application sought by Dr. Obadiah Mailafia seeking to restrain the Nigeria Police Force from further investigation on an interview he granted a private radio station in Lagos, Nigeria.

 

“You would recall that the office of  Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters has sent a letter of invitation to Dr. Obadiah Mailafia through the Director-General, NIPPS, for another investigation on the same matter bordering on the killing of innocent Nigerians, infringement on their fundamental right “.

 

 

Justice Arum Ashom in his ruling on a motion on notice brought before him by the embattled, Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia challenging the security agencies on fundamental human right.

 

The Jurist while delivering his ruling motion on notice says the police and the DSS have overlapping functions to complement each other so the invitation extended to Dr. Obadiah Mailafia was not out a place neither an infringement on his right as a person.

 

He said agitation on the motion on notice rule 7 procedure of the court 1999 amended in paragraph 6,7,9& 15 particularly which border on people right and the right of a plaintiff seeking relief before this court that the DSS is the only statutory security outfit to thoroughly investigate the act of internal security is not true.

 

The e-deputy CBN, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia approached the court seeking an interim injunction to restrain the Nigeria Police from further embarking on the investigation while the DSS are also doing the same job as double jeopardy which was contain in paragraph 26 of affidavit disposed of by plaintiff counsel, Barr Yakubu Bawa.

 

According to the ruling, the former Banker granted an interview to a Lagos base radio on the station which was aired dated and the information went viral both local and international attention that prompted the security agencies to invite him for further questioning.

 

He disclosed that the DSS 1st invitation affidavit and served by Ezekiel Ojo correspondent by Fagbemi Esq were Pius Okubo SAN argued and adopted the plaintiff.

 

Speaking to the plaintiff counsel, Barr Yakubu Bawa on the ruling, he said though the court had thrown out the application sought by Dr. Obadiah Mailafia to stop the police and other security agencies to infringe his right.

 

He explained as the plaintiff counsel, they’re going to study the judgment and seek whether his client can file for an appeal.

 

The counsel to the 1st, Second and 3rd defendants, Barr Michael Oladipo who stood in for Barr Fagbemi Esq commended the court ruling that this is a landslide ruling.