The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the immediate release of the international passport of a former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, which was seized by the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS.
The court, in a judgement that was delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, held that there was no legal justification for the action the NIS took against the former governor.
Odili, who piloted affairs of Rivers State from 1999 to 2007, had approached the court to challenge the seizure of his international passport by the NIS.
In an 8-paragraphed affidavit he personally deposed to, the former governor said he landed at the airport from the United Kingdom where he had gone for his routine medical checkup.
“However, while waiting for my luggage, an official of the immigration service came over to me and demanded for my international passport aforesaid,” Odili stated in his affidavits in support of the suit.
“I demanded to know why he wanted it, and he stated that it was for a routine check, and that same will be given back to me the following day.
“No official explanation, other than the above conversation, was given to me. I gave him the passport, and up till now, same has not been returned to me.
“The seizure of my passport by the respondents has denied me movements in and out of Nigeria, thereby restricting my movement in violation of my constitutional right to freedom of movement.
“I know as a fact that I am a very senior citizen of Nigeria, law-abiding and I have done nothing to have warranted the seizure of my passport by the respondents.”