On October 18, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a stern warning to the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi. The court’s notice, signed by its registrar, threatened to jail Ajayi for contempt if he continued to disobey court orders by denying Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), access to his legal team.
The court’s notice outlined that unless Ajayi allows Kanu’s lawyers to conduct scheduled visits on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he would be held in contempt and face imprisonment.
This action follows persistent complaints from Kanu’s Special Counsel, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, who noted that the DSS had repeatedly defied the court’s ruling, which permits Kanu to meet with his lawyers three times a week. Ejimakor emphasized that the legal team would proceed with contempt proceedings if the DSS director continued to block access.
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The court’s original ruling, delivered on May 20, 2024, required the DSS to provide a safe and clean room for Kanu’s legal consultations, ensuring he could adequately prepare for his defense. However, Kanu’s legal team has consistently accused the DSS of escalating restrictions, including secretly recording their conversations and ultimately denying them access to the IPOB leader.
With the court now issuing this official warning, the legal consequences for continued non-compliance by the DSS chief are imminent.
