THE Department of State Services (DSS), has filed a fresh application against Prof. Pat Utomi at the Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged plans to hold rallies in relation to the subject of a suit pending against him.
The DSS, in the application filed through its lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, before Justice James Omotosho prayed the court to restrain Utomi and his associates from further making public comments or engaging in rallies in relation to the planned “shadow government” formation.
Our correspondent reports that the DSS had, earlier, dragged Utomi, the 2007 Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), before Justice Omotosho over his alleged plan to establish what he called, “a shadow government” in the country.
The security agency, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, prayed the court to declare the move as an attack on the constitution and Justice Omotosho had fixed June 25 for the hearing.
Meanwhile, the fresh motion filed before the presiding judge was against the reports that Utomi, who is said to be currently abroad, had planned to engage in protests, road shows, media interviews and related activities upon his return to the country on June 6.
It prayed for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the defendant/respondent (Utomi), his agents from staging road shows, rallies, public lectures or any form of public gathering, newspaper publications, television programmes, jingles or any other public enlightenment programm.
The service, in its grounds of application, argued that, if not restrained, Utomi’s proposed rallies, road shows and actions would “constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “
It said that as the agency 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 incumbent on it to forstal any threat to public order, safety and national unity.
It stated that before it filed the substantive suit, Utomi, a Professor of Political Economy and Management Expert, had, through public statements, social media and other platforms engaged in statements and actions aimed at undermining the outcome of the case now pending before the court, and which he is aware of.
The DSS said it gathered through monitoring and intelligence reports that Utomi, who is currently out of the country and is due to return on June 6, plans “to stage road shows and rallies under the guise of freedom of speech and association in a bid to cause public discontent in furtherance of his establishment of the purported ‘shadow government/shadow cabinet.’
The plaintiff added, in a supporting affidavit, that Utomi’s intention “is to stage road shows and rallies that are capable of drawing a large number of Nigerians with intent that will cause huge disruption of peace, breakdown of public order, enable riots and violent protests just as the recent “End SARS” protests in 2020.
