The federal high court sitting in Abuja has declared the seizure of the passport belonging to former governor of Rivers state Peter Odili as illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights.
Delivering judgment in the suit filed by the former governor against the immigration service, justice Inyang Ekwo ordered the immediate release of the passport to the former governor.
Justice Ekwo held, that no investigation was carried out to show that the information on that data page of the passport does not belong to the former governor.
No case of impersonation was brought before the court, only difference in name.
This difference the court said is attributed to Mr Odili shortening his name while instituting the suit as to his full name on the passport.
The shortening of Name is a common by Nigerians for easy pronunciation and there is nothing wrong with it.
The NIS did not tender the document which placed Mr Odili on any watchlist or any ordering them to seize his passport.
The respondent(NIS) stood the law on his head by seizing the passport.
The court subsequently ordered the NIS to render an apology to Mr Odili for the embarrassment caused him, and further restrained them from harassing or intimidating him while in the country or leaving the country.
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