Embattled Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah (retd.) has been barred from travelling abroad by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

This was made known by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in its response to a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Minimah before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Minimah, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/561/2021, claimed to have been prevented from travelling abroad by the NIS and that its official, Abdullahi Umar also confiscated his international passport.

He also accused them of threatening, intimidating and unlawfully harassing him while he attempted to travel abroad.

Minimah wants the court to compel them to release his passport and to restrain them perpetually from further preventing him from travelling abroad.

He asked the court to, among others, declare the actions of the respondents as a violation of his rights.

Minimah is facing charges of fraud from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) involving alleged misappropriation of N13 billion meant for arms purchase.

The former Army boss was charged alongside an erstwhile Chief of Accounts and Budget of the Nigerian Army, A. O. Adetayo, a major-general, and the former Director, Finance and Accounts of the Nigerian Army, R. I. Odi, a brigadier-general, at the Federal Capital Territory High in Abuja.

What Minimah's suit reads

“On the 19th of April, 2021, the applicant (Minimah) was scheduled to travel to Poland sequel to a letter of invitation sent to him inviting him to attend the AIBA Youths Men’s and Women’s World Championship 2021.

“To the greatest shock and dismay of the applicant, on approaching the clearance desk at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, he was stopped by agents of the Nigerian Immigration Service and prevented from boarding.

“The agents of the first respondent (NIS) informed him that he was not permitted to travel out of the country pursuant to the directives of the second respondent (CIS Umar) who seized his international passport.

“No reason was given to the applicant by the second respondent with regards to the unlawful seizure of his passport,” it was stated in an affidavit supporting the suit filed for Minimah by his lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN).

What The NIS is saying

In their joint counter-affidavit, the NIS and Umar claimed to be acting on a directive by the government, through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“The respondents did not threaten, intimidate and unlawfully harass the applicant at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport as alleged by the applicant in his prayers for declaration.

“The withdrawal of the applicant’s international passport by the respondents is lawful, legal, constitutional and valid.

“The withdrawal of the applicant’s passport by the respondents does not amount to a violation of the applicant’s fundamental right.

“The EFCC had on two different occasions in the past requested that the applicant be watch-listed by the respondents and when the applicant reported to the EFCC on those two occasions, the EFCC again requested that the applicant be de-listed from the respondents’ watch-list which was done.

*What you should know*