PFIPC: Court Delays Hearing In Adeyemi’s Fundamental Rights Suit

The Federal High Court in Abuja has returned to its registry for reassignment a fundamental rights suit filed by the detained self-acclaimed former Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, Adeniyi Adeyemi.

The court declined to proceed with the hearing, after establishing that the 72-hour period given to the respondents to show cause why Mr Adeyemi’s remaining reliefs should be granted had not expired.

The matter, which came up before Justice Obiora Egwuatu, had been scheduled for the respondents to show cause in response to Mr Adeyemi’s application.

At the proceedings, counsel for the applicant, Muhammad Abdulaziz, told the court that the respondents had been duly served and that the applicant was ready to proceed.

Counsel for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mercy Akeredolu, was also in court, while other respondents were absent.

The applicant’s counsel said, “As ordered yesterday, all the respondents have been duly served and we are ready to proceed.”

The registrar subsequently confirmed that the order had been served on the respondents on September 8, while the hearing notice was served on September 9.

Justice Egwuatu, however, queried the timing of the service and pointed out that the 72-hour period had not elapsed.

The judge also questioned the competence of the proof of service for the hearing notice, asking whether it had been properly deposed to before a commissioner for oaths.

He subsequently held that the respondents were yet to exhaust the period granted to them to show cause.

Justice Egwuatu thereafter returned the case file to the registry for reassignment, directing the applicant to return when the respondents’ time had expired and the matter was ready to proceed.

The development followed an earlier order by the court directing the Inspector-General of Police, the police and the Attorney-General of the Federation to show cause within 72 hours why Adeyemi’s remaining reliefs should not be granted.

The court had, however, granted one of the reliefs sought by Adeyemi, ordering the authorities to allow him access to lawyers of his choice at reasonable hours while he remains in custody.