Anambra Judge orders DSS to appear in court
A judge in an Anambra State High Court, Justice R.O Onunkwo, has ordered the Department of State Service (DSS) to appear before him or be sentenced in absence.
The DSS was arraigned before Justice Onunkwo for allegedly attacking the Anambra coordinator of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidential campaign in 2007, Chief Ifeanyichukwu Nwokoye.
The court said after the period granted to the DSS to appear before it expired, it was left with no other option than to enter judgment in default against the security outfit.
The dates ordered for the hearing notice were March 15, April 5 and 20, May 17, 19, 24 and 26.
The judge said on March 15, the DSS would be allowed to cross examine the witnesses who yesterday gave their evidence.
The Court, on March 7, summoned the DSS to appear before it on March 10 which the security outfit did not honour.
When the matter came up on March 7, counsel to the DSS, Mr. S.T Oneh, announced his discontinuance with matter. “I used to appear for the respondents (DSS) in this matter but the respondents have disengaged my service. I, hereby, notify the court that I no longer represent them.”
But in a resumed hearing yesterday, the DSS did not put up appearance, a situation that caused the Judge to give a leave of the court to the applicant’s lawyer, Prof Ilochi Okafor (SAN) to proceed with his motion to continue with the case in the absence of DSS.
No comments