Two lawyers petition AGF, IGP over ‘illegal detention’

Two senior lawyers have written to the Attorney General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice over brazen disobedience to a valid court order by the officers and men of the Intelligence Response Team Unit (IRT), Nigeria Police Force, warning that the Police could not continue to disobey court orders.

In a similar letter written to the Inspector General of Police, the petitioners stated that they had approached the court with the process of commencement of application for committal for contempt against Officers of the IRT on the ground of disobedience of court order.

The petitioners, Samuel Noah and Ugwemogak Fingesi expressed disgust over the continued detention of Macpherson Olimini, Chime Ezebalike and Prince Lukman Oladele by the officers attached to the IRT in Abuja in flagrant disobedience of court order.

They warned that the dignity and honour of the court could not be maintained if its orders were treated disdainfully and scornfully without due respect.

The petitions tagged “Brazen disobedience to a valid court order: A threat to our constitutional democracy and a call for your urgent intervention”,  urged the AGF to compel the Nigeria Police to obey court orders.

According to the petitioners, the three men were arrested at different dates and different locations in Rivers State since last year, and subsequently, brought and detained at the IRT, Abuja on December 20, 2023 and have remained in continued detention since the said date.

The petitioners stated that since the arrest and detention of the three men, they made elaborate efforts to secure their administrative bail in line with the extant provisions of Sections 30 and 31 of the Administrative of Criminal Justice Act, 7015 but to no avail.

Consequently, the petitioners approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and commenced three different suits for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights of their Clients as guaranteed under Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as altered).

The petitioners said: “On the hearing, of our Motion dated December 27, 2023, the Court ordered that our clients should be granted administrative bail within 48 hours of the service of the Order of Court on Nigeria Police in whose custody our clients are kept.

“The order of court was served on the office of the IGP and DCP Muhammed Sanusi Ahmed (Commander IRI), Guzape, Abuja on December 28, 2023.
“In a total disobedience to the order of a court of competent jurisdiction, Commander IRT bluntly refused to grant any of the applicants bail, and this to say the least, is the height of official recklessness, an affront to our judicial system and inimical to the revered principle of the rule of law.”