….Court Grants Garnishee Order Against FGThe Yoruba nation agitator and activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho has dragged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the DSS to court over failure to pay him a sum of N20.5 billion awarded him as cost in the suit against his house invasion.
As the court also agreed and granted the garnishee order against Federal Government.
The two application were filed by his lead counsel Chief Yomi Alliyu (SAN) at an Oyo State High Court which ordered the DSS to pay him N20 billion in aggravated damages and another N500 million in cost for invading his Soka, Ibadan house on July 1, 2021
It could be recalled that two persons were killed during the invasion, his properties destroyed while other valuable belongings were taken away.
Justice Ladiran Akintola on September 17, 2021 ruled that the invasion was illegal and that he did not violate the constitution by campaigning for Yoruba nation but being hounded for his agitation for Yoruba nation.
The judge awarded him N20.5 billion but instead of paying the said cost, the DSS filed an application for stay of execution and an appeal against the judgment.
While filing an objection to the stay of execution, Igboho filed a second application for Garnishee Nisi against the CBN to pay N20.5billion to the applicant out of Federal Government’s purse with the regulatory bank.
Alliyu argued that neither the appeal nor stay of execution application affects an application for garnishee.
At the sitting on Monday, the court agreed and granted the garnishee order.
The matter was, however, adjourned for CBN to come on January 12, 2022 to show why the court should not make the garnishee order absolute.
In the DSS’ motion to stay the execution of the N20.5billion damages awarded Igboho, it argued in its affidavit that paying the huge sum would plunge Nigeria into further economic woes, adding that it would make the judgment of appeal of little or no effect if paid now.
The DSS also argued that Igboho is currently a fugitive in Republic of Benin who would be unable to refund the huge sum should the judgment of the appeal court nullifies the award.
