A Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected a petition seeking to force the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to release details of the discharge certificate of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior.
In a judgment on Friday, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ruled that the ex parte request did not satisfy the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act.
The application was submitted by activist Emorioloye Owolemi through his lawyer, Philemon Yakubu. It relied on order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and sections 1, 20, and 21 of the FOI Act 2011, seeking court approval to investigate the validity of the minister’s NYSC discharge certificate.
Owolemi had requested a court order compelling NYSC to provide information in a letter dated November 17, 2025, related to the minister’s discharge certificate. He also sought monthly clearance records from the location where Tunji-Ojo allegedly served, along with financial details submitted during his 2006 NYSC registration.
Additional demands included logs of monthly allowances—dates, amounts, bank schedules, and account details—plus documents outlining the date, nature, and status of the minister’s alleged abscondment. The request also covered internal memos, queries, disciplinary reports, and records of registration, posting, deployment, and service for Tunji-Ojo’s 2006 service year.
However, the judge noted that the applicant failed to show he was acting in the public interest, as required by the FOI Act, and dismissed the request.
After the ruling, Yakubu said he would discuss the next steps with his client, emphasizing that their aim is to encourage transparency, accountability, and integrity among public officials.
