The State Security Service has raised objection to a suit by the Director-General of the Ibrahim Babadamosi Babangida Presidential Campaign Organistation, Chief Raymond Dokpesi before a Federal High Court in Abuja, saying the action was frivolous.
Dokpesi had filed the action to enforce his right and demanded N100m damages.
In a preliminary objection filed by the lawyer to the SSS, Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN) the service claimed that Dokpesi was invited for questioning over the bomb blasts in Abuja on October 1 on the premise of some text messages which established a nexus between him and some persons suspected of complicity in the dastardly act.
Izinyon contended that since the SSS was statutorily empowered to invite any person for questioning on matters bordering on national security, Dokpesi’s action amounted to inviting the court into breaching the powers and compromising the duties of the Service.
He said, “The issue in this case which led to the invitation of the applicant by the first respondent relates to bomb blasts where several innocent Nigerians lost their lives. It has to do with state security which the first respondent is legally empowered to investigate.
“Edmond Ebiware, a suspect arrested in connection with the said bomb blasts during investigation admitted meeting the applicant (Dokpesi) some days before the said bomb blast and also further admitted receiving the sum of N4m from the applicant.
“Pursuant to its constitutionally guaranteed powers of investigation, the first respondent invited the applicant for questioning following the aforesaid statements made by Edmond Ebiware.
In the process of his investigation, the applicant was granted bail and requested to show up for further investigation.”
He therefore argued that the action brought by Dokpesi, seeking “a declaration that his arrest, detention, harassment and undue questioning is on a poor footing and therefore cannot be granted in law.
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