A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service to immediately release the international passport of a former governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, to him.
Presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order in a judgment on a fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by Dr. Odili, challenging the seizure of his international traveling documents by Immigration officials.
Dr. Odili served as Governor of Rivers State between 1999 and 2007.
The former governor claimed before the court that his international passport with number B50031305 was seized on the 20th of June, this year, by operatives of Immigration Service.
He deposed to the fact that he was just returning from a medical trip to the United Kingdom when he was deprived of his passport.
He argued that he had not done anything to warrant the seizure of his passport and prayed the court to compel the Immigration service to release his passport.
The former governor also prayed the court to order the immigration service to issue a written apology for the embarrassment they caused him.
In its counter affidavit, the NIS disclosed that Odili’s passport was seized because he was on the watch list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The service also said the seizure was the result of collaborative efforts by security agencies
