The Department of State Services has urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to restrain Professor Patrick Utomi from further making public comments or engaging in rallies in relation to the subject of a suit pending against him over his announced plan to establish a shadow government in the country.
The request is contained in a fresh application filed before the court by the organisation, following reports that Utomi, who is reportedly currently abroad, has planned protests, road shows, media interviews and related activities, after his return to the country on June 6.
The application seeks mainly, “an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendant/respondent (Utomi), his agents, privies, associates, servants, workers or any person acting through him from staging road shows, rallies, public lectures or any form of public gathering, newspaper publications, television programs, jingles or any other public enlightenment programme (s) aimed at sensitising, instigating, propagating or in any way promoting the purported “shadow government/shadow cabinet” or its objectives or goals with the view to establishing the said “shadow government” pending the hearing and determination of this substantive suit.”
The grounds for the application, according to the DSS’ legal team, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), includes that, if not restrained, Utomi’s proposed raliies, road shows and actions would “constitute a serious threat to public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The DSS added that since it is statutorily empowered to safeguard the internal security of the country and prevent any threats to lawful authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its constituent institutions, it was its responsibility to forestall any threat to public order, safety and national unity.