Alex Enumah in Abuja
Justice Salim Ibrahim of a Federal High Court, Abuja has directed the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to file his response to the swimsuit searching for to compel the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to launch data of his service.
Justice Ibrahim gave the order on Monday when the matter got here up for listening to.
According to the court docket, the minister is to file and serve his reply to the applicant’s counter affidavit, which opposes his software to be joined as a celebration, earlier than the subsequent listening to date mounted for November 18, 2026.
The Incorporated Trustees of Pathway to Equity and Charity Foundation, within the swimsuit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1812/2026, is asking the court docket to compel the NYSC to disclose paperwork supporting the minister’s declare that he accomplished the necessary one-year nationwide service.
The plaintiff can also be searching for an order of mandamus directing the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the second respondent, to produce data displaying that the minister served his main project there.
Meanwhile, the inspiration is demanding that the NYSC produces the mobilisation or call-up letter issued to Tunji-Ojo in 2006 or some other 12 months; the posting letter to the FCTA in 2006 or some other 12 months; his software for mobilisation; proof of approval of his remobilisation by the Director-General;
proof of fee of allowances to him; his “book of life”, stored for every corps member; the document of his Community Development Service and his discharge certificates.
Similarly, the applicant desires the FCTA to produce the mobilisation or call-up letter, the posting letter, his attendance document in the course of the service 12 months, proof of any allowance paid to him, and the document of his Community Development Service.
The software was introduced underneath Section 14 of the Federal High Court Act, Order 34 Rules 1, 2 and 5 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, and Sections 20, 21 and 25 of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, 2011.
This adopted the depart granted by Justice Ibrahim on October 5, 2026, permitting the inspiration to begin the motion.
Counsel to the applicant, Chief Solomon Akuma (SAN), advised the court docket he was prepared to proceed with the listening to.
However, Abiola Olaniji, showing for the minister, mentioned he had filed an software to be part of Tunji-Ojo because the third respondent.
He mentioned the applicant had responded with a counter affidavit elevating critical points, to which he wanted time to reply, explaining that he was prepared to participate within the proceedings as an occasion.
But the applicant maintained that the minister couldn’t be a correct occasion because the swimsuit seeks an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to produce paperwork that aren’t within the minister’s custody.
Justice Ibrahim nonetheless adjourned the matter and ordered the minister to file his response earlier than the subsequent date.
In a 25-paragraph affidavit, Chairman of the inspiration’s Board of Trustees, Uchenna Ejimafor, described the group as a non-governmental organisation that exposes paperwork and reviews circumstances of corruption, bribery and abuse of workplace in private and non-private establishments.
Ejimafor mentioned the minister had offered himself to the general public as having accomplished the one-year nationwide service and served his main project with the FCTA in 2006 or one other 12 months.
He claimed, nevertheless, that the inspiration’s discreet investigation confirmed Tunji-Ojo didn’t serve with the FCTA in 2006 or some other 12 months.
According to the affidavit, the inspiration requested the paperwork by means of its solicitors so as to confirm its findings, however the respondents refused to launch them.
It famous that the FoI Act requires such paperwork to be offered inside seven days of a request, and mentioned the respondents failed, refused or uncared for to comply. Ejimafor argued that, except compelled by the court docket, they’d not make the data out there.
The controversy over the minister’s certificates beforehand drew a response from the NYSC in a letter dated August 8, 2023, signed by one Fasakin B. A. on behalf of the Director-General.
The letter said that Tunji-Ojo was mobilised in 2006 and deployed within the FCT, however later absconded from the scheme.
It mentioned he resurfaced in 2019, was remobilised and posted to the FCDA for his main project. His certificates was not out there on the passing-out parade as a result of his title was omitted from the certificates printing software.
The NYSC added that the minister utilized for the certificates by means of the FCT State Coordinator on October 18, 2022, and that the applying was forwarded to NYSC headquarters. Certificate No. A004523631 was produced on February 28, 2023, for assortment.
