Brutality: Court orders DSS to appear, or lose defense right

An Anambra High Court presided over by Justice R.O Onunkwo has ordered the Department of State Services [DSS] a choice of seven different dates within a three-month period to enter an appearance before it, or foreclose its right of defense in a  matter  of alleged brutality attack on an Awka-based international business man, Chief Ifeanyichukwu Nwokoye.

Chief Nwokoye, who was the 2007 State Campaign Coordinator for President Muhammadu Buhari, and his wife, Jessica were alleged to have been brutalized on April, 2015 by fierce looking armed men of DSS in the state which destroyed Nwokoye’s sight and had to be flown overseas for another round of surgery.

He told journalists then that he was brutalized because he refused to release information about 22 expatriate medical doctors guests in his hotel who were guests of the Anambra State government for its free medical mission in the state. 

He therefore sued the DSS for infringing on his fundamental

When the matter came up in the court yesterday, and the DSS was nowhere to be found and was not represented by a counsel, the court was forced to adjourn, but ordered the agency to appear before it within next seven adjourned dates spanning three months, it would be left with no other option than to enter judgement in default against the agency. 

They failed the order of court of March 7, 2016 to appear before it on March 10, 2016.

The days given include March15, April 5th and 20th, May 17th, 19th , 24th and 26th and the security agency was given March15 from when to cross examine  the witnesses who gave their evidence in Chief in the matter yesterday.

Mr S.T. Oneh, counsel to DSS had announce his discontinuance with matter, pointing out he had been debriefed on the matter.

But in a resumed hearing yesterday the DSS did not put up appearance, a situation that caused the Judge to give a leave of the court to the applicant’s lawyer, Prof Ilochi Okafor (SAN) to proceed with his motion to continue with the case in the absence of DSS.

From Chuks Collins, Awka

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