Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the National Identity Management Commission and others to release the Certified True Copy of the biodata of David Ukpo to a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice.
He gave the ruling following an originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/2022, moved by Ekweremadu’s counsel, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN).
Ekweremadu and wife had, in the application dated and filed on June 27 by Awomolo, dragged NIMC and four others to FHC.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service; Stanbic-IBTC Bank; United Bank of Africa and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc were listed as 2nd to 5th respondents.
The couple were, on June 23, remanded in the UK police custody after they were arraigned before the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court for alleged conspiracy to facilitate the travel of David Ukpo, alleged to be a minor, for organ harvesting.
They, however, denied the allegations and the court adjourned till July 7 for hearing.
Ekweremadu also appeared before the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday where he was denied bail.
But in the originating summons, the couple prayed the court for an order directing all the defendants to supply to them with the CTC of Ukpo’s biodata information in court their care for the purpose of facilitating the criminal investigation and tendering same to establish their innocence with respect to Ukpo’s age in the criminal charges against them before the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court.
When the matter came up on Friday, Awomolo informed the court that an application had been filed, seeking the order striking out the name of the 5th defendant (Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc) and Justice Ekwo granted the prayer.
He told the court that all the defendants had been served with the court processes.
Justice Ekwo asked the lawyer to the 4th defendant (UBA), G. O. Maduka, if they were served and he responded in affirmative.
“After going through their motion on notice, we felt we have no reaction to it,” he said.
While moving his motion, Awomolo said the application dated and filed on June 27 was supported by an affidavit and a written address.
He, however, called the attention of the court to letters written by the defendants, indicating that until his client’s application was granted by the court, “they will not be able to respond to their request.”
Delivering a short ruling, the Judge held that having been satisfied that the defendants had been served and looking at the averments in the application, “I make an order granting the prayers.”