By Amanze Ajoku
The High Court of Imo has moved to commit certain police officers and a certain woman to prison for disobedience of order of the Court concerning Dr Ikedi Ohakim, former Governor of Imo State.
According to documents obtained by this reporter, the Registrar of High Court of Imo State, on Wednesday November 4, 2020, issued a Show Cause Notice of committal to prison to DCP Kolo Yusuf and SP Mohammed Yusuf, both of whom are of a disbanded SARS unit in Abuja known as Special Tactical Squad (STS).
Others are officers Stanley Nwodo, Orji Kanu and CP Tuesday Osayemo, all of whom are of the Prosecution Section of Nigeria Police Headquarters, Abuja. Also facing committal to prison is one Chinyere Amuchienwa-Igwegbe, who is the nominal complainant in the originating matter that led to the notice of committal.
It will be recalled that Ikedi Ohakim had on September 10, 2020 secured a restraining Order or injunction against the Nigeria Police Force, these officers and Ms Amuchienwa-Igwegbe on an application by Ohakim for enforcement of his fundamental rights. According to judiciary sources, the Order which was made by Justice V. Onyeka of Imo High Court 13, was duly served on all the parties.
According to court records, Ohakim’s move to enforce his fundamental rights was necessitated by Ms Anuchienwa’s incessant and several petitions against Ohakim, including one she brought at the Lagos Command of Nigeria Police Force, another one at Force Headquarters in Abuja and the one she brought before the National Agency for Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The Order of injunction reads “That all parties in this Suit are hereby Ordered to maintain the status quo and should not do anything in connection with the subject matter and should stay all action whatsoever pending the determination of the substantive Motion in this Suit”.
But in a twist, the Nigeria Police Force, acting through these officers and on the apparent prompting Ms Amuchienwa proceeded to file Charges against Ohakim on September 21, 2020, eleven days after the High Court issued the injunction. This Charge was then widely published in several newspapers but, according to credible sources, the Charges were never served on Ohakim.
And the subsequent summons for Ohakim’s alleged arraignment on November 11, 2020 was also widely published in newspapers but the same source confirmed that this too was never served on Ohakim.
It was in view of these developments that the Imo High Court issued the Notice of Committal to DCP Kolo Yusuf and the others, which in part reads “Notice to show cause why order of committal should not be made: that you are hereby required to attend the court on the first-mentioned day to show cause why an Order for your Committal should not be made”.
This reporter was informed that the committal proceedings may be set for next week before Justice G. Chukwunyere, sitting in Imo High Court 9.
