An #EndSARS movement activist, Miss Modupe Chizoba Odele, on Thursday said that her international passport, which was seized on November 1 was yet to be released five days after.
It would be recalled that her passport was allegedly seized by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) when she wanted to board an Emirate EK 784 flight from Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos to Dubai.
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She however appealed to the officials of the NIS to release her International passport.
But NIS said the seizure was “a routine assignment.”
The Service Public Relations Officer, Sunday James, in a chat with Daily Trust said: “If there is any enforcement order on any person, we restrict the person from either departure or entering into the country.”
Asked if there is any enforcement order on her, he said, “Whatever it is as an enforcement agency in charge of border management, if there is a restriction order on any person from departing or entering into the country, we would enforce it. I am not specific about any person. Quote me for what I said not on specific terms. I don’t even know who she is but if there is an order on any person, we restrict the person from either entering or departure”.
Asked who must have given the order, he said, “That’s your business, find out.”
Some women activists under the aegis of the Feminist Group had condemned the seizure of International passport of Odele, a Nigerian Attorney and the co-lead of ENDSARS Legal, an initiative which provided free legal aid to #EndSARS protesters.
In a series of tweet on her verified handle @Mochievous, Odele confirmed that her passport was yet to be released, describing the development as a “constitutional breach.”
She said, “My passport was taken with no reason given. This is an ongoing constitutional breach.
Section 38 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) DSS v. Agbakoba (1999) 3 NWLR (PT. 595)
“What is so ironic is that as a kid, I grew up hearing stories like this of folks having passports seized with no reasons.
“They sounded like far away tales that could never happen to me you know. But look at where we are now. A few hours before I turned 31, it happened to me.
“Today (Thursday November 5) is the 5th day that my passport is still being held after it was seized at the Lagos international airport. If there’s no no-fly list, that’s okay but why has my passport not being released yet?
“Holding on to my passport without giving me any reason for it is a breach of my constitutional right. I’ve not been informed of any investigation against me, I’m not running. I am here. Investigate. Ask me questions but do not continue to hold on to my passport with NO reasons.
“1st of November, I was stopped and my passport taken some minutes to boarding this flight (displaying the Emirate boarding pass). No reason was given, other than “you are under investigation” today is 5th of November, I still do not have my passport back neither have I been told what the investigation is about.”
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