A tailor, Hadiza Usman, on Wednesday dragged the Director-General of
the State Security Service (SSS) and his wife, Y. B. Magaji and the
SSS FCT Director before the FCT High Court Apo, over alleged threat to
life.
The enforcement of fundamental rights motion was brought before
Justice Sylvanus Oriji, by Ms Usman, pursuant to Order 4 Rule 7, Order
5 Rule 7 and Order 11 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement
Procedures) Rules,2009 and Section 33 of the Constitution if the
Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The motion prayed the court to make an interim order restraining the
respondents by themselves, agents, employees, operatives, detectives
from further threatening the life of the applicant or putting her life
in jeopardy either by their actions or inaction pending the
determination of the application.
The applicant further sought the leave of the court for the
originating processes and all processes to be served on the second to
fourth respondents by substituted means.
Ms Usman, in her grounds for the action, informed the court that the
respondents on May 5 forcefully gained entrance into her premises at
No 36 Gnassingbe Eyadema Street, Asokoro, Abuja and tortured,
maltreated and threatened her life and those of other members of her
family.
She claimed that the respondents through their officers are
continually menacingly moving around her premises, adding that she and
her family are constantly living in fear as they keep seeing strange
movement of some Hilux vans belonging to the respondents with masked
men driving around the premises.
The applicant told the court that her life was in grave jeopardy and
except the court made an order restraining the respondents from taking
any steps, the worst might happen.
Ms Usman claimed that she had been making clothes for Mrs Magaji
without any problems.
“I made more than 30 pieces and she later brought 12 pieces of fabrics
for sewing on February 22.
“I delivered some of the clothes on April 9, while the rest were
delivered the following day.
“She opened the clothes I returned one by one that day to confirm
whether they were complete. A week later, she called me to tell me
that three of her head scarves were missing.
”She called me a thief, threatening that she was going to deal with me
if the scarves were not provided,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, after listening to the exparte motion as argued by Nkem
Okoro from the chambers of Mike Ozekhome SAN, Mr Oriji refused to
grant the restraining order sought by the applicant and order that the
respondents be put on notice.
The judge, however, granted the applicant the leave to serve the
respondents through substituted means.
He then fixed July 2 to hear the application.
