DSS VS Pat Utomi, Associates: Court emits a sentence in …

A Federal Court sitting in Abuja, Monday (29 September), will take trial in a cause presented by the Department of State Services (DSS) who challenge the legality of the alleged plan of Prof. Pat Utomi to establish a “shadow government” in Nigeria.

The judge chanting, James Omotosho, after having entertained the arguments of the lawyers to the parties and listening to the opinions of the seven Curiae friends invited by the court, had repaired on Monday 29 September by trial.

The DSS, in the cause marked: FHC/Abj/CS/937/2025, argued that the “shadow government” supported by Prof. Utomi, is not only unrelated to the Nigerian Constitution, but also able to cause anarchy and destabilize Nigeria.

The DSS also argued that with an presidential government democratically elected, any “shadow government as promoted by Utomi or anyone, could incite:” to unleash political disorders, cause intergroup tensions and encourage other illegal actors or separatist entities to replicate similar parallel agreements, everything that represents a serious threat of national security “.

The secret police, whose constitutional mandate is to supervise internal security, prayed to declare the alleged “shadow government” or “shadow cabinet” planned by Utomi and its associates as unconstitutional, claiming that “is equivalent to an attempt to create a parallel authority not recognized by the Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria Nigeria

The DSS also sought a declaration that “pursuant to sections 1 (1), 1 (2) and 14 (2) ((a) of the Constitution, the institution or functioning of any government authority or structure outside the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as modified). It is incredible, null and voide.

In addition, the secret police wanted the Court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, retaining utomi, its agents and his shareholders “from further doing any measures towards the factory or functioning of a” shadow government “,” shadow cabinet “or any similar entity not recognized by the establishment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (allowed)”.

In his last submission of 10 July, the DSS consultant, Akinlolu Kehinde (San), believed that, among other things, he was missing from the power to establish any shadow government that is not supported by any provision of the Constitution.

In his last submission of 10 July, the lawyer of the plaintiff, Akinlolu Kehinde (San), supported among others that Utomi was missing of the power to establish any shadow government that is not supported by any provision of the Constitution.

According to the lawyer Senior, the DSS actually believed that the shadow government proposed by Utomi was designed to subvert his democratic rights.

“No matter how strong the concerns of Utomi are, no group is authorized to establish any organization against the authority of the Nigerian government.

“The right to express one’s freedom is granted, but there is a limitation in which the exercise of this right brings tension against the government of the day”, observed the lawyer, warning, “we must not allow the cat to leave the cage before chasing him”.

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