A Delta State High Court in Ogwashi-Uku has restrained the Inspector-General of Police and its agents joined as respondents in an originating suit from further arresting and detaining the member representing Aniocha South Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Mrs. Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpo.
Besides, the lawmaker has filed a suit at an Ogwashi-Uku High court seeking N2 billion for false imprisonment. She is being represented by Dr. Alex Iziyon (SAN) in the case that comes up for hearing on April 22, 2012.
The court granted the leave sought by the applicant, Mrs. Mrakpo to serve the originating processes and all other processes to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7threspondent through the office of the Commissioner of Police, Delta State.
Also joined in the suit are Emmanuel Ejiofor and Michael Ejiofor as 5th and 6threspondents respectively.
The lawmaker in a petition to the Delta State Commissioner of Police alleged that on March 31, ASP Dada Garuba (4th respondent) arrested and detained her over allegations of kidnapping and malicious damage to properties.
According to Mrakpo, Emma Ejiofor who raised the allegations against her, had on October 1, 2011 entered Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South LGA with his supporters and proceeded to install Prince Edward Okwuchukwu Ofulue as the Obi of Ubulu-Uku in an attempt to unseat the reigning Obi, Edward Akaeze Ofulue III.
The community, Mrakpo said, resisted the attempt to install Prince Okwuchukwu, a situation that resulted in serious crisis before her attention was drawn to it.
“I immediately alerted the Director of State Security Service of Delta State who incidentally was sitting close to me as well as the Delta State Police Command,” the petition which was made available to newsmen stated.
It added that peace was restored to Ubulu-Uku town while Okwuchukwu Ofulue and Emmanuel Ejiofor filed two separate suits against her and the Delta State Commissioner of Police.
While the suit filed by Okwuchukwu was still pending, Mrakpo claimed that Ejiofor’s suit was dismissed by the High Court in Ogwashi-Uku in December 18, 2012, although the said Ejiofor had also petitioned her to the IGP.
“I wonder how the Nigeria Police Force, who were jointly sued and defending court cases with me could at the same time be arresting me without arresting themselves.
“I was shocked when ASP Dada Garuba returned to arrest and detain me for the same allegations of kidnapping and malicious damage to properties by the Commissioner of Police, Delta State and my humble self, on Saturday the 31st March, 2013 for several hours,” Mrakpo stated in the petition.
‘I am aware that several petitions written by the Ubulu-Uku community against the conduct of the said Emma Ejiofor and his cohorts have always been buried by certain members of the Nigeria Police Force as even the order of the Inspector General of Police of 13th October 2011 in response to the petition by Emeka Egwatu Esq was never attended to,” Hon. Mrakpo stated.
