A Federal High Court in Abuja has quashed a suit by the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah, in which they sought to compel the Nigeria lmmigration Service (NIS) to issue them international passports.
Delivering judgment on the suit on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwautu, held that the applicants did not provide sufficient evidence to show that their passports were either seized, destroyed, lost or the relevant agency was unwilling to reissue them another one.
Justice Egwautu held that from the position of the applicants, it was not shown that it was the immigration service which took their passports, but rather that the passports were destroyed or lost in 2015 when their residence was attacked by security operatives.
He subsequently quashed the suit.
El-Zakzaky and his wife, had through their lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), in January 2022 filed the fundamental rights reserved enforcement suit against the Immigration Service and its Comptroller General for alleged refusal to issue new international passports to them.
They prayed the court to enforce their rights enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
They equally urged the court to declare that the alleged refusal of the NIS to process their travel documents to enable them travel abroad for medical treatment was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory police on Thursday confirmed the arrest of IMN members otherwise known as Shi’ites over unlawful procession.
The Command disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh.
According to the police, IMN members numbering over 400 staged a protest from Federal High Court to Eagle Square, blocking roads following the court’s ruling on the passport of their leader, El-Zakzaky.
