An Ikeja High Court has ordered substituted service against a popular blogger, Saidi Shittu, who is based in the UK over alleged infringement of fundamental rights of two Islamic clerics.
Justice Taiwo Olatokun gave the order after the hearing of a motion ex-parte filed before the court by Alhaji Olanrewaju Hammed Alfulany and Alhaji Muritala Bolaji through their counsel, Kola Ibrahim.
Ibrahim had informed the court that they couldn’t serve the Originating Motion on the 3rd respondent who had only appeared in court once 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 February 19, 2021 on the 3rd respondent should be served and published in major newspaper with the accompanying processes.
Justice Olatokun also held that the said processes should be pasted on the wall of the address of the 3rd respondent at 16, Scott Street, Agarawu, Tom Jones Bus-Stop, Lagos Island.
The 1st and 2nd respondents in the suit are the Inspector General Of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba and Inspector Isah Mahmood.
The applicants in the suit are alleging threats to their life by the respondents.
They accused the 3rd respondents of embarrassing and harassing the applicants using the 1st and 2nd respondents as instruments and self help.
In an Originating Summon dated February 19 , 2021, filed before the court, the applicants urged the court to declare the continuous harassment, intimidation and threat to arrest of the applicants as unlawful and unconstitutional.
They prayed the court for “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 also prayed the court to grant a sum of N5,000,000,00) against the respondents jointly and severally as exemplary damages for the unwarranted infringement of the applicants’ fundamental rights.
They also asked the court for a Mandatory Order directing the respondents to tender an apology in writing to the applicants for the publicly harassing them.
Justice Olatokun adjourned the matter till November 10, 2021 for report of service.
