The Department of State Services (DSS) has countered a suit filed by the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of using state apparatus and security agencies to prevent him from carrying out his statutory functions including attending the state executive council meeting.
In the secret police’s counter affidavit dated August 2, it contended that the applicant’s affidavit is allegedly replete with “baseless, spurious, sweeping speculations and conjectures” that cannot back the reliefs sought, especially against the DSS.
The counter affidavit deposed to by Mamman Acia, the DSS denied being aware of any purported plans to prevent the deputy governor from attending State Executive Council Meetings or carry out his functions as the Deputy Governor of Edo state.
He argued that the plaintiff has failed woefully to link the DSS to any of the allegations of intimidation or harassment against him.
“Neither the name of the DSS, nor any of its agents was ever mentioned either in Plaintiff’s affidavit or any of the documents annexed to the Plaintiff’s affidavit supporting his originating Summons;
“The DSS does not carry out any action, be it investigation, arrest, or prosecute of any other person, without the due process of the Law;” he added.
He continued that the inclusion of DSS in the suit is merely based on speculation and not on any verifiable fact in existence.
The secret police further maintained that the deputy governor did not provide evidence of the purported act of intimidation, harassment or embarrassment by its operatives.
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“My Lord, it is on the strength of the foregoing submissions that we urge this Honourable Court to resolve the above issue in favour of the 2nd Defendant (DSS) and dismiss the Applicant’s suit in its entirety for want of merit and substance,” the DSS prayed.
The deputy governor also claimed that his principal is working with the state’s House of Assembly to impeach him ahead of the 2024 governorship election in the state.
But the governor had denied the allegations both to the press and in his processes before the court, accusing his deputy of planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress for the purpose of picking its governorship ticket ahead of the polls.
However, Justice A.R. Mohammed had upon hearing the deputy governor’s exparte motion, ordered parties to maintain status quo and appear before him on August 22 to show cause why the reliefs sought by Shaibu should not be granted.
Joined as respondents in the case as first to fifth respondents are the Inspector General of Police, State Security Service, Governor Obaseki, Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of the state.
Among other requests, Shaibu wants the court to restrain the defendants from harassing or intimidating him.
