Court fixes Dec.8 for Bayelsa Youth Activist illegal detention suit against Agip, DSS

The Bayelsa State High Court sitting in Yenagoa has fixed December 8th for further hearing and appearance of witnesses in the suit filed by Ijaw Youth Activist, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie over his alleged arrest and detention in an underground detention facilities in Abuja for 730 days by the Department of State Security (DSS).

The Presiding judge, Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie at the resumed hearing on Friday in the suit numbered YHC/324/2022 adjourned till December 8th, 2023 to allow for motions and hearing.

Justice Ebiyon Duke Charlie also rejected the attempts by the Counsel to the DSS, George Obiora Esq to move for adjournment through a letter submitted to the Court on the demise of her Mother.

Both the Counsel to the Claimant, Ebipreye Sese Esq and Counsel to the Police, Silas Ebete Esq objected to the request for adjournment through the letter, arguing that the letter is not filed before the Court and served on all parties to the suit.

The Bayelsa Youth Activists, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie, had filed a suit against his illegal arrest and detention

with demands for the sum of N9billion in damages.

He is also praying the court to declare that his arrest, torture and subsequent detention without proper food and medical attention and access to family members for two years for false Imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

In his eight prayers before the Court, Opumie sought the order of the court against the defendants jointly and severally “for damages suffered as a result of the false imprisonment for two (2) years under the custody of the DSS (2nd set of defendants) in their prison facilities without bail or arraignment in a court of law at the instance of the Agip (1st set of defendants) false and malicious complaints/reports against him”

“An injunction restraining the 2nd and 3rd set of defendants from further harassing or attempts to arrest and detain the claimant at the instance of the 1st set of defendants.”

Opumie, who is an indigene of Opuama Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government area of the State and among Niger Delta Youths that embraced the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), in his statement of claims, accused the DSS in Yenagoa of allegedly abducting him at the instance of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in a gestapo style, physically and mentally torture him, tie and throw him into the boot of a vehicle and taken to Abuja like a common criminal without the knowledge of his family and access to medical care.

Meanwhile, the Traditional leaders of the Eniwari Community and Ogi-Ama community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council area of Bayelsa State have declared their support for the legal action against the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and the Department of State Security (DSS).

Chairman, Traditional Rulers Council of Southern Ijaw and the Amananawei of Enewari community, HRH Job David Dairus, expressed confidence in the ability of the judiciary to expedite action on the suit and ensure justice is served to the Bayelsa Youth Activists, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie.

Also the Amananawei of Ogila-Ama Community in Opuama kingdom, HRH Kieri Ben Smith Idomo expressed dissatisfactions over the allege oppressive operations of the Oil exploration companies in their domain, alleging that the case of the illegal arrest and detention of the Bayelsa Youth Activists, Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie is one case too many.

According to him, ” this case of illegal arrest is done in the past. I was part of a team to stood bail for over 13 boys illegally arrested and detained by the Niger Agip company.”