Court summons Customs Director of Legal Services for contempt

The Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered the Director of Legal Services of the Nigeria Customs Service to appear before it and explain why he should not be held in contempt.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba gave the order in Abuja on Monday following information that Abubakar Rilwan, a defendant in a case brought before him by the service, had died in custody.
Rilwan’s Counsel, Laura Oviawe, told the court that Rilwan died on July 13, a day after he appeared in court and the judge ordered that he should be given medical attention.
Oviawe said she went to the Customs headquarters on July 13 to inquire if the court’s directives to take the defendant to the hospital had been followed only to find out that he had died.
Dimgba said: “So, they did not obey my order to take him to the hospital?
“I told them on that day to take him to the hospital because he did not appear well but the counsel said he was only pretending.”
Dimgba ordered that the Director of Legal Services along with the counsel to the Customs Service, S.I. Bello, should appear before the court on August 4.
They are to explain why they should not be held in contempt for not following the orders of the court by taking the defendant to the hospital.
The Nigeria Customs Service had dragged Rilwan to court for allegedly engaging in fraudulent recruitment for the service.
He was unable to take his plea before his death.