A Federal High Court in Asaba has awarded N10m in damages against the Department of State Services for illegally detaining a trader, Anthony Okolie, for 10 weeks without charge.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, however, struck out the prayer requesting the President’s daughter, Hanan Buhari, and telecoms company, MTN, to pay N500m.Dimgba delivered his judgement on Thursday, The PUNCH reports.

Okolie, had sued the President’s daughter as well as the DSS and MTN over his 10-week detention after purchasing a SIM card previously owned by Hanan.

In a suit filed on his behalf by human rights lawyer, Tope Akinyode, the applicant sued all parties for N500m jointly and separately.

The suit, with number FHC/ASB/CS/3/2020, sought an order to “compel the respondents (DSS, Hanan and MTN) jointly or severally to pay the applicant the sum of N500, 000, 000 only as general and aggravated damages for the gross and unlawful violation of the applicant’s right to acquire moveable properties, freedom of movement and self dignity.”

The 33-year-old man said in a supporting affidavit that he was arrested on July 19, 2019 in Asaba, Delta State for using a telephone line that was previously owned by Hanan.

According to him, he remained in custody, bound by handcuffs till September 22, 2019 as the DSS waited for Hanan, who was schooling in the United Kingdom, to come and clear him but she never did.

Okolie also attached the receipt he was issued after purchasing the SIM card as well as the SIM certificate.

During the hearing, Akinyode, who is also the National President of Revolutionary Lawyer’s Forum, asked Justice Dimgba to determine if Okolie’s rights had been breached and if the DSS had the right to detain a private citizen for 10 weeks without charge.

The President’s daughter, through her lawyer, M.E Sheriff, asked the court not to grant Okolie’s reliefs, insisting that she had never met the applicant before and he should instead channel his anger towards the DSS that detained him.

The DSS in a counter-affidavit said the Presidency ordered the investigation of Okolie, adding that the sensitivity of the case was what led to Okolie’s prolonged detention.

The DSS lawyer E.E Daubry, who is the Principal Staff Officer, Legal Services, DSS, said the agency decided to detain Okolie without a court order because of the sensitivity of the case.

The agency accused Okolie of using Hanan’s SIM card to solicit money from unsuspecting members of the public, an allegation the applicant denied.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/sim-card-court-awards-n10m-against-dss-absolves-buharis-daughter/%3famp=1

The DSS position seems to be at variance with that of Hanan who had said in her own counter-affidavit that she never reported any case to the agency.

https://punchng.com/presidency-ordered-probe-of-man-using-hanan-buharis-old-line-dss/

So the DSS in it's over zealousness decided to take law into its hands and hence subjected an innocent man to unimaginable torture? Well, the presidency will simply make the DSS the fall guy if they enter a culdesac.The wheel of justice grinds slowly but surely.

Yes ooo hope this not another fake news.
abeg where are those that said it will be imposible for okolie to get justice oya come see
after all nothing is imposible if mind, soul and brain are put to use.

tsephanyah:
MTN, has argued that it did not transfer absolute right of ownership of the SIM card to Okolie because it was a national asset, which cannot be personalised.

DSS arrested okalie because he tried to defraud people. He is lucky Hanan didn't filed lawsuit against him in the first place.

Okolie employed the services of female accomplices, who could speak Hausa to pretend to be the president’s daughter.

After spending 10 weeks in jail for allegedly using an MTN SIM card previously owned by President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, a security source has explained why Anthony Okolie was arrested by officers of the Department of State Security.

According to TheNation, the source said Okolie was arrested and jailed because he was using the number to defraud unsuspecting persons.The source said Okolie decided to use it to make money for himself after realizing that the number was previously owned by Hanan due to the calls he was receiving.

In order to extort money from unsuspecting victims, Okolie was said to have employed the services of female accomplices, who could speak Hausa to pretend to be the president’s daughter.

Pls come and defend all the nonsense you ever said here.I told you that day.....

Racoon:
Lucky for what? So why is the presidency, Hanan or MTN yet to sue Okolie for criminal conspiracy ? Let them sue the poor man if they have evidence.

Do you think the DSS would have release the man if they were able to establish this allegation against him (even with the 10weeks detention period) or be frantically trying to exonerate themselves from the culdesac they now find themselves by blaming the presidency for the man's ordeal?

Thank God

All government agencies and parastatals must be held accountable

I wish Judiciary can be separate from executive.

One day something will happen and it bring hope to the people... Another day another thing will happen and it will leave all hopes in shades...

Good thing the young man got justice. Hope the DSS will pay up...

JOHNSONSOLAFUNMI:
Thank God.All government agencies and parastatals must be held accountable

This is what many of them especially security agencies-Army, DSS, in particular dont ever remember.Karma will always come visiting.

So who will compel the DSS to pay up?

hmmmmmmm if this is true There's hope for this shit hole afterall first the atiku trader and now this .....nice

them go gree pay

The judiciary has a silver lining

All hope is not lost for Nigeria if we keep getting news like this

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright

Ok...blow my mind

It seems the courts are working

"No evil deed will go unpunished.Any evil done by man to man will be redressed.If not now then later. If not by man then by God. For the victory of evil over good can only be temporary'

Late Dele Giwa.

audio payment, unless if enforced executively and followed, wish him luck

Wow

I love Justice with a lot of zeros to accompany


MTN will pay me at some point

Ishilove:
So who will compel the DSS to pay up?

That is where the problem is...He might not see shi shi, till maybe an executive order is made for him to be paid

The End.
©DSSlywood 2020.

At least the government is doing something right.
Allowing justice prevail.
There is a ray of hope for the "common man" to get justice

Follow me on Twitter ** : www.twitter.com/NaijaSteveJobs

DSS should do the needful.

See cash

Fair judgement. Hannah never order the dss, they acted on their own or from sm other authorities best known to them.

Fabulouzjoseph:
Yes ooo hope this not another fake news.
abeg where are those that said it will be imposible for okolie to get justice oya come see
after all nothing is imposible if mind, soul and brain are put to use.

Thats because this case is too glaringly in favor of okolie to be manipulated

This might just be a ceremonial judgement like that of Babasuwe versus NDLEA

Hmm