After being fined N2 million for alleged disobedience to a court order, the Legal Adviser of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Jimoh Abdulkadir Adamu, has finally succumbed to court by releasing Dr. Peter Odili’s passport.
Odili’s passport, which had been wrongfully taken by Immigration on the supposed direction of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was returned to him at his Abuja residence.
A motion by the Legal Adviser confirming the release of the document directly and personally to Odili has just been sighted by newsmen at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
However, Adamu is to appear in court this morning to defend accusations of “professional misconduct” brought against him by the former governor.
Justice Iyang Eden Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, summoned the senior lawyer to appear before him to defend his role in the refusal of his agency to comply with order of his court to release the passport.
At the time of this report, the motion and affidavit of compliance, confirming the release of the passport has been served on Odili’s lawyer, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
It was, however, noted that contrary to the court order that the passport be deposited with the Registrar of the Federal High Court, the Immigration took the document directly to Odili and delivered it to him in person.
A document signed by Odili personally acknowledging receipt of the passport was also sighted by newsmen.