A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday stopped the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), from inviting former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode for interrogation over child trafficking-related offences.
The agency was restrained alongside the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) from giving effect to summons already issued to Fani-Kayode for interrogation over petitions filed against him by his estranged wife.
Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the restraining order following two separate letters served on the former minister despite pendency of a suit in the matter at the Federal High Court.
The Judge said no effort must be made to give effect to the two letters inviting Fani-Kayode for questioning in respect of the same subject matter pending before his court.
Adeola Adedipe who stood as counsel to the former minister had complained that his client was still being summoned by NAPTIP and AGF in spite of the pendency of a suit by Fani-Kayode instituted against them to challenge their powers of summoning him.
Adedipe argued that the two letters are unnecessary because parties have submitted themselves to court for adjudication and no party is expected to over-reach the other.
The Judge was provoked when Nancy Ukenna, counsel to NAPTIP justified the actions of her client in the matter.
The counsel informed the Judge that though there is a pending suit, there is no express order stopping her client from doing what it did.
In a brief bench ruling, Justice Ekwo warned the Federal Government agency from taking any step that will foist a state of hopelessness on the court.
He categorically ordered NAPTIP and AGF to desist from undermining the pendency of a suit in a law court and adjourned the matter to October 4, 2022, for hearing.
The former minister had in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/327/2022 sought an order of the court for judicial review of certain provisions of the law as they relate to his relationship with his estranged wife.
He wants the court, after reviewing the law to declare that NAPTIP has no power under any law to summon him for interrogation in a matter of his family affairs.
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