A popular Nigerian Islamic Blogger who is based in the UK, Saidi Shittu, has been declared wanted for contempt of court.
It has been alleged that Saidi Shittu has repeatedly shunned court summons in an alleged case of defamation of character brought up against him by Alhaji Olanrewaju Hammed Alfulany and Alhaji Muritala Bolaji in the High Court of Lagos.
A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered that substituted service against Saidi Shittu, a popular Nigerian Islamic Blogger who is based in the UK over an alleged infringement of fundamental rights of two Islamic clerics.
Justice D.T Olatokun gave the order following the hearing of a motion Ex parte filed before the court by Alhaji Olanrewaju Hammed Alfulany and Alhaji Muritala Bolaji (the Applicants) through their counsel, Mr Kola Ibrahim.
Counsel to the Applicants, Ibrahim had informed the court that the processes couldn’t be served on the 3rd Respondent because he had left the country for Dublin where he resides.
The judge further ruled that the order of substituted service of originating motion and affidavit of urgency filed on the 19th of February, 2021 on the 3rd Respondent (Shittu) should be served and published in well known newspaper with the originating process and accompanying documents.
Justice Olatokun also held that the said processes should be pasted on the wall of the address of the the 3rd Respondent ( Shittu) at 16, Scott Street, Agarawu, Tom Jones Bus-Stop, Lagos Island.
She thereafter adjourned till October 21, 2021 for report of service.
The Applicants, Alfulany and Bolaji had dragged Shittu (3rd Respondent) and the Inspector General Of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba and Inspector Isah Mahmood as 1st and 2nd Respondents respectively before the court over what they described as threat of arrest by the 3rd defendant with an intention to embarrass and harass the Applicants using the 1st and 2nd Respondents as instrument and self help.
In an originating summon dated February , 2021, filed before the court, the Applicants had urged the court to declare the continuous harassment, intimidation and threat to arrest of the Applicants as unlawful and unconstitutional.
“An order of injunction restraining the Respondents, their agents, privies , servants and officers from further inviting, arresting, detaining the Applicants in any way.
The Applicants had also prayed the court to grant a reward of five million naira (5,000,000,00) against the Respondents jointly and severally as exemplary damages for the unwarranted infringement of the Applicants fundamental rights.
“ A mandatory order directing the Respondents to tender an apology in writing to the Applicants for the public harassment of the Applicants.”
Note that it was earlier reported in July 2020 that Shittu had allegedly committed an offence by threatening the life of Alhaji Olanrewaju Hammed Alfulany which is an offence punishable under Section 56 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
It was also alleged that Shittu had provoked a breach of the peace through an offensive publication, contrary to Section 57 (c) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
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