A Federal High Court in Abuja has again ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to return the seized international passport of former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili.
The court gave the NIS a five-day ultimatum to comply with its directive.
Justice Inyang Ekwo in his ruling on Wednesday granted this order in furtherance of an earlier one issued on October 18.
Ekwo had, on October 18, ordered NIS to release the international passport of Odili on the grounds that the document was unlawfully seized in July.
However, 38 days after the initial directive, the NIS was yet to comply.
The court also issued another directive to compel the NIS to comply with the ruling.
Ekwo, in his ruling, said the order was handed out as a condition for the hearing of an application filed by the NIS and its Comptroller General.
Shortly after the October 18 judgment, the NIS through its lawyer, Ibrahim Etsu had filed an application seeking an order staying the execution of the judgment pending the determination of their appeal.
However, Justice Ekwo, after listening to the arguments of Etsu said the court would only hear the application on the condition that the applicants first release Odili’s passport and deposit it with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court within five days.
