A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted an order directing the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to release official details of David Nwamini to a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his judgment on Friday also directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and two commercial banks to release Nwamini’s details in their possession to the couple.
The ruling was sequel to originating summon filed by Senator Ekweremadu and his wife through their counsel and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adegboyega Awomolo.
Approaching the court, Awomolo argued that the personal details of Nwamini is needed to facilitate the ongoing court trial of his clients in the United Kingdom.
Awomolo had prayed the court that Nwamini’s National Identification Number (NIN), which is in the possession of the NIMC, should be produced for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish his client’s innocence.
He asked that the Comptroller General of NIS be directed to provide his clients with the documents and application form which Nwamini presented to obtain his international passport, for the purpose of assisting the criminal investigation and tendering same before the Uxbridge Magistrate Court in the UK.
The SAN had also prayed the court for an order directing Stanbic IBTC Bank and UBA to provide the Certified True Copy of Nwamini’s mandate card and account opening package in their custody.
Justice Ekwo in his ruling granted the order, directing NIS, NIMC, Stanbic IBTC and UBA to release the personal details of Nwamini to the embattled former deputy senate president.
By the court order, all official information in relation to Nwamini, including the account opening package, are to be released to Senator Ekweremadu and his wife to ascertain his real age.
Recall the couple are currently in detention in United Kingdom over allegations of conspiring to bring a child to Britain for organ harvesting with Nwamini said to be the victim.
Following their arrest by the London Metropolitan Police, the duo appeared before a UK court which ordered that they should be remanded in custody till July 7 while investigations continue into the allegations against them.
Although the Met police said Nwamini was 15, the NIS said it issued an international passport indicating his age as 21 after due process.