By Innocent Anaba

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday, adjourned till September 29 to hear an application to re-list a suit by a journalist, Otunba Olomofe, against the Nigerian Custom Service, NCS, over alleged rights infringement.

Yomi Olomofe: The Journalist

The Lagos branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, had filed the suit on behalf of the Badagry-based journalist, seeking enforcement of his fundamental rights to life, freedom of expression and the press.

Other respondents are the Comptroller-General of Customs; Muhammed Ndalati, Emmanuel Nkemdirim, and Ibrahim Turaki.

The applicant had filed the suit, following alleged assault and beating he suffered in the hands of Custom officers and some hoodlums allegedly hired by them.

The suit, which was filed early January, had been fixed for mention on February 22 and March 17, but was eventually slated for hearing on June 16.

On June 16, after the case was called, counsel to respondents had informed the court that the applicant was absent, and had urged it to dismiss the suit.

Consequently, trial judge, Justice Abdulazeez Anka had struck out the suit.

Meanwhile, on June 17, counsel to the applicant, Mr Jiti Ogunye, had re-filed the suit and served processes including his application to re-list the suit, on respondents.

The court had then issued July 4 for mention of the case.