By Wandoo Sombo
Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor, lawyer to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately release three of his domestic workers.
Ejiofor, who made the call on Friday in Abuja at a news briefing, listed the detained personnel as Felix Okonkwo (driver), Okafor Ugochukwu (gardener) and Ikenna Chibuike (steward) saying DSS detained them since June 2021.
The lawyer told newsmen that Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of a Federal High Court sitting in Awka had in a judgment of July 22, ordered the release of the staff members.
He said the judgment was on a suit challenging the invasion of his ancestral home by operatives of the Nigerian Police, the DSS, Army and Chukwuka Ofoegbu (aka Ijele speaks) on June 6, 2021.
“We call on the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation to prevail on the Director-General of the DSS to immediately and unconditionally release my domestic staff.
“(They are) still being illegally detained in their facility since June 2021 till date.
“We also ask for the immediate compliance with all the terms of the judgment, already served on them.”
Ejiofor told newsmen that his workers were taken away following an invasion of his home, where his Personal Assistant, Mr Samuel Okoro was killed and his elder brother, Mr Joel Ejiofor also taken away but later released.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before briefing newsmen, the lawyer played CCTV footage of how his Oraifite home was invaded by security operatives leading to the killing of Okoro.
The CCTV footage also showed the operatives driving a red Camry car out of his house which Ejiofor said belonged to him.
He said the car was later set ablaze.
A copy of the judgment sighted by NAN shows that Justice Nganjiwa had ordered the security operatives to pay a compensation of N107,000 million to Ejiofor.
The court listed the Police, Inspector-General of Police, DSS, Director-General DSS, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Army, Chief of Army Staff and Chukwuka Ofoegbu as those to pay the compensation.
The sum is to cover:
“The destroyed Toyota Camry car with registration No: YAB60CB in the sum of N5 million, being the value of the purchase price.
“N100 million as general and exemplary damages on compensation for violation of his fundamental rights.
“N2 million as cost for filling and prosecuting the suit.” (NAN)
