The Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa issued a warning to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) on Friday, cautioning them against any attempts to delay the hearing in the lawsuit filed by Ijaw youth activist Comrade Collins Trueman Opumie concerning his alleged illegal arrest and detention.

Presiding judge Justice Duke Charlie instructed the counsel for DSS and Agip to refrain from delaying the court proceedings and to adhere to all pre-trial addresses and application processes for the trial.

During the previous hearing on Friday, all parties involved in the case submitted their preliminary applications to regularize their processes at the pre-trial conference. The plaintiff’s counsel, Ebipreye Sese, presented an application to the court to regularize the claimant’s reply, which was accompanied by a further Witness Statement on Oath. The DSS also applied to regularize their consequential amendment, while the police filed their defense.

Counsel for the DSS, George Obiora, informed the court that they might not be able to produce their witnesses due to his involvement with a politician participating in the governorship election scheduled for November 11th of this year. The counsel for Agip expressed concerns about their availability on the adjourned dates, citing the busy nature of their schedule. They requested an adjournment until December to allow sufficient time for adequate preparation.

However, Justice Duke Charlie warned against any attempts to delay the court proceedings and adjourned the matter until November 1st.

In the lawsuit filed in 2022, the plaintiff, Opumie, is seeking N9 billion in damages for his alleged illegal arrest and detention in an underground facility in Abuja for a period of 730 days on the orders of Agip management.