Lagos High Court Summons Controller of Correctional Services

By Steve Aya / posted April 23, 2024

Justice Akintunde Savage, of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday, summoned the Lagos State Controller of Nigeria Correctional Services (NCoS) Alagbon to come and throw light into the mystery of whether or not the Chairman of Confidence Cargo Freight Forwarder, Dada Aigbe, who was committed to a one-month prison for contempt, was in prison custody or not.

The trial Judge also ordered that the Deputy Sheriff of Lagos High Court, Mr Michael Alogaga, be summoned to court to tell the court how he served the court process on Aigbe.

Counsel to the claimant, Jimoh-Akogun, in his hearing notice dated April 22, had applied before the court to summon the controller general and the court sheriff to produce Aigbe (contempt nor) or give evidence in court whether or not he was truly in prison.

The judge had on March 11, ordered that Aigbe be imprisoned for one month until he purged himself of the contempt.

The court order was a sequel to form 48 and 49 contempt proceedings filed against Aigbe, the application that was filed and moved by Jimoh-Akogun.

Justice Savage, in his enrollment order dated Mach 11 had said “Mr Dada Aigbe is hereby committed to Kirikiri Maximum prison for one month or until he purges himself of the contempt of this court and files an affidavit to henceforth not disobeys this court or any court order,”

To effect the court order, the deputy sheriff of the high court, took a “Request for Police Assistance” form dated March 18 to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, and the form was received on the same date.

Jimoh-Akogun, however, argued that barely a month after the court had ordered that Aigbe be remanded; he had not been taken to any correctional centre in the state.

The lawyer further argued that following the arrest of the Dada Aigbe, the convict had not been taken into Kirikiri custody.

He prayed the court to invoke Section 116 of the Evidence Act.

According to him, Aigbe was yet to purge himself of the flagrant disobedience to court order.

“I urge my lord to extend the ruling mandating Micheal Alogada, a sheriff of this court and Lagos Controller of Correctional Centre to come to this court on Thursday to give evidence whether Dada Aigbe is in prison or not,” Jimoh-Akogun said.

Counsel to the respondent judgment debtor, led by the Former Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Kazeem Adeniji (SAN) in a motion dated April 5, attached with the affidavit of extreme urgency, had prayed to the court to set aside its order committing the Aigbe to prison for a month.

Mr. Maruf Jimoh-Akogun, Counsel to the judgment creditor in this suit marked no ID/3831LMW/2016, said the HRM Oba Shakirudeen Adeshina Kuti instituted the case for himself and on behalf of the Ajamogun/Onikotun family of Ewu kingdom.

The claimant filed the suit against the Osolo of Osolo, HRM Oba Agbabiaka Kabir Orisedeko Elemo, and the Baale Mafoluku Ajao Estate, Chief Hussam Raheem Shekoni Elemo as the first and second defendants respectively.