The Federal High Court in Abuja has summoned Adeola Ajayi, the Director-General of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), to explain why he should not be held in contempt and face imprisonment.
The court’s summons, issued by the registrar, requires Ajayi to “show cause why an order for your committal should not be made.” This action follows claims that the DSS has not adhered to a directive from Justice Binta Nyako, who ordered the agency to grant Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), access to his legal team three times a week. Court documents reveal that Kanu’s lawyers have been denied visitation since September 27, violating the agreed schedule and obstructing the preparation of his defense, thereby infringing on his legal rights.
On October 18, the court issued a “Form 48 Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to the Order of Court,” warning Ajayi that continued non-compliance would be considered contempt and could lead to imprisonment.
Kanu has been in DSS custody since his contentious extradition from Kenya in 2021 and faces seven charges, including treasonable felony.
