Court orders IG’s arrest, detention
Court orders IG’s arrest, detention
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA—AN Abuja high court, has , ordered the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonaya Onovo, for allegedly refusing to comply with a court summon over an unlawful detention of two police corporals, Onyebuchi Eze and Kenneth Chikwe.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi who issued the bench warrant, also ordered all the law enforcement agencies in the country to comply with the directive, adding that he should be detained in prison custody till
September 2, when the substantive case was adjourned to.
The Abuja high court had, ab-initio, ordered the police boss to personally appear before it, yesterday, to
show cause why he should not be committed to prison for allegedly violating four separate court injunctions, allegedly served on him on August 9, 12, 18 and 20, 2010, with regards to the continued detention of the two accused persons.
The two policemen, alongside one Mr. Austine Duru, were on October 7, 2009, arrested by operatives of the State Security Services, SSS, at Owerri, the Imo State capital, for allegedly collaborating with suspected kidnappers in Anambra State and were subsequently transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Though the accused persons are yet to be arraigned before a competent court over the alleged crime since they were arrested in 2009, a human rights organization, the International Human Rights Initiative, however, took the case to court after the first accused, (Onyebuchi Eze), was said to have developed appendicitis while under detention and was denied medical attention by the police.
The rights body applied to the court for an order directing the Police to grant him conditional bail to
enable him go for a surgery, a request that was acceded to by the high court.
Consequent upon failure by the police authorities to comply with the bail order, Justice Adeniyi on August 20, ordered Onovo to appear before him, to explain why the court’s order was not respected.
While issuing the bench warrant, Justice Adeniyi maintained: “Nobody, no matter how highly placed is permitted to hold the court to contempt. This should further show the world that law is no respecter of persons irrespective of position.
“I hereby order the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonaya Onovo for disobeying the orders of this honourable court and all law enforcement agencies are hereby directed to take notice of this order. He should be arrested and kept in prison custody until he purges himself of the contempt.”
The case was further adjourned till September 2.
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA—AN Abuja high court, has , ordered the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonaya Onovo, for allegedly refusing to comply with a court summon over an unlawful detention of two police corporals, Onyebuchi Eze and Kenneth Chikwe.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi who issued the bench warrant, also ordered all the law enforcement agencies in the country to comply with the directive, adding that he should be detained in prison custody till
September 2, when the substantive case was adjourned to.
The Abuja high court had, ab-initio, ordered the police boss to personally appear before it, yesterday, to
show cause why he should not be committed to prison for allegedly violating four separate court injunctions, allegedly served on him on August 9, 12, 18 and 20, 2010, with regards to the continued detention of the two accused persons.
The two policemen, alongside one Mr. Austine Duru, were on October 7, 2009, arrested by operatives of the State Security Services, SSS, at Owerri, the Imo State capital, for allegedly collaborating with suspected kidnappers in Anambra State and were subsequently transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Though the accused persons are yet to be arraigned before a competent court over the alleged crime since they were arrested in 2009, a human rights organization, the International Human Rights Initiative, however, took the case to court after the first accused, (Onyebuchi Eze), was said to have developed appendicitis while under detention and was denied medical attention by the police.
The rights body applied to the court for an order directing the Police to grant him conditional bail to
enable him go for a surgery, a request that was acceded to by the high court.
Consequent upon failure by the police authorities to comply with the bail order, Justice Adeniyi on August 20, ordered Onovo to appear before him, to explain why the court’s order was not respected.
While issuing the bench warrant, Justice Adeniyi maintained: “Nobody, no matter how highly placed is permitted to hold the court to contempt. This should further show the world that law is no respecter of persons irrespective of position.
“I hereby order the arrest of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonaya Onovo for disobeying the orders of this honourable court and all law enforcement agencies are hereby directed to take notice of this order. He should be arrested and kept in prison custody until he purges himself of the contempt.”
The case was further adjourned till September 2.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Folajimi Dimeji on
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Okechukwu, you talk about respect for the police institution as if the Judge just woke up one morning and decided out of the blues, to order the arrest of the IGP. What happened to the respect for the judiciary, the constitution and the rule of law? Its as simple as abc, the IGP held the court in contempt, the court had little or no option than that already taken. Surely, in principle, the Judge has not compelled the doing of the impossible but in practice, it appears to be. Let's watch how events unfold. It remains of interest to see how the order of the court will be executed.
Okechukwu Anieze said:what an interesting story. At least Mr.Adeniyi's name has once been heard, for being the one to order d arrest of a siiting IG. Funny country, funny ppl. I think d greatest problem of this country is our legal system. We believe you, that no man is above the law of the land but if you for once had respect for the police institution, not just the man heading it, you couldnt have made that pronouncement in the name of judgement. I challenge you, go and arrest mr Onovo and if you you fail i challenge you to resign for you are just wasting tax payers money as a judge.
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Permalink Reply by oguanya celestine on
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the judge's order to arrest the IGP is quite commendable,but we all know that court orders are only respected by the lowly placed in the society. Otherwise, lets wait and see if the IGP will obey the order.
Ayodele pius obasuyi said:For the judge to order the IGP arrest he has score a point, IF the IGP obey the order or not that,s an order thing but at list it be no a RECORD.
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Permalink Reply by musa ibrahim on
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I will not be in support of the arrest of An Igp of the federal republic of Nija the court has to respect the ig a police kidnapers who is under his custody, deserve no mercy because an officer who knows the law can not break the law and get free in court because of some lawyer who feel they are intelligent to set criminals free .Igp ride on
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Permalink Reply by usman abubakar on
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na wow who wan go arrest the man which security agent wan go arrest a whole IGP police for god sake? pls that judge should be arrested also
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Permalink Reply by Eziokwu Dominic on
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i wonder what is happening, this judge in question should have studied the circumstance involved as regards the crime committed by those police custables, the IG was charged to clean - up kidnapping in the S/East which he is trying to do, now the human rights and the Judge has turned to give order to arrest the IG, which way Nigeria, I suggest the issue of rule of law should not be abused by the judges.
For me, is he encouraging kidnapping or against it, for me ordering for his arrest is not the best solution, but would have been solved in a round table negotiation, being that it is a peculiar case, which the whole nation is aware of. Kipnapping and abating is not acceptable in its entirety, thereby this judge has to redress his action on this issue. help Nigeria to grow!.
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thank you my man the lord is your shtreanght
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Permalink Reply by Darlington Ehondor on
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IN NIGERIA, A JUDGE'S CONTEMPT FOR CONTEMPT IS ONLY LAUGHABLE
What was he thinking, when he set out to amuse us? Sometimes - indeed, quite often - a judge's seriousness only elicits guttural guffaws in our amused throats. Yet, even the heaviness of our deep laugh hardly conveys the size of our amusement. Justice Olukayode Adeniyi knows that we know that he knows that we know that he is only kidding around. He knows that we know that public officers, including and especially an inspector-general of police, have a hubristic sense of God-likeness. Which, in the typical arrogance of public officers, often barricades them from the long arm of justice. So, even before wielding his legal highness and smashing his gavel to deliver his summons on Ogbonaya Onovo, Adeniyi was already thoroughly - that is, sufficiently - aware of the futility of his judgment. He was already sufficiently schooled in a police officer's public misbehavior, which begins with a contemptuous disregard for the law police officers are employed, trained and paid by the public to uphold. However, since judges are, understandably, contemptuous of contempt for their legal authority, let's yield to his power of jurisprudence and applaud his boldness in grabbing his gavel by the handle. Let's also throw flak at Onovo for being so impudent and irresponsbible in his contempt and despicable hubris. But before doing that, let's fling fumes at a society that tolerates public officiers' audacious disrespect for the law, and a legal system that hasn't managed to acquire a sense of authority and respectability. When those supposedly invested with responsibility to uphold and protect the law become the very ones who vomit and defecate on the law, such a society is evidently afflicted by debilitating LSS - the Lawless Society Syndrome. Which is not out of character, in a society as unorganized as Nigeria. Onovo's apparent brazen disregard of the judge's injunction is both contempt for the law and defecation on the Constitution that legitimizes that law. But it also reflects a pervasive culture of a sense of untouchability among public officers, a practice that was essentially endorsed recently when Mohammed Adoke, the nation's chief prosecutor, declared that Ibrahim Babangida and Ahmed Yerima, two public officers widely believed to have violated the country's laws, were beyond the law. Adoke's horrendous infamy legalizes the illegality of manipulating and beheading the law to whet depraved appetites. It raises large questions, and even larger concerns, than it answers. One of which is: what, then, is the point of a judge's contempt for contempt of his court? Answer: laughable.
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Permalink Reply by Lateeph on
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As a lawyer, I support your argument. You can not ridicule the highest officer in the land to court order like this judge did. Especially, considering life, properties and security of all Nigerians are his daily responsibilities. The judge could have ask for someone to represent him. Not him to appear personally. After all, been a judge doesn't mean you have common sense.
Okechukwu Anieze said:what an interesting story. At least Mr.Adeniyi's name has once been heard, for being the one to order d arrest of a siiting IG. Funny country, funny ppl. I think d greatest problem of this country is our legal system. We believe you, that no man is above the law of the land but if you for once had respect for the police institution, not just the man heading it, you couldnt have made that pronouncement in the name of judgement. I challenge you, go and arrest mr Onovo and if you you fail i challenge you to resign for you are just wasting tax payers money as a judge.
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Permalink Reply by MICKO on
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Oga Judge they can't fit it. I admire your courage, but who will effect the order? I guess Mr. president or maybe the COAS/CDS. This order can only be effected in a civilzed world not in Nigeria. Infact in a civilized country, top police officer will never disobey a court order. God will help us in Nigeria
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Permalink Reply by Onu. Anedo on
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I have said it and will continue to say it that the judge that gave order to arrest IG is a joker. Search his mind now, he is laughing at Nigeria. He knew quite well that any order to arrest even if it is an order to arrest the president, has to be carried out by the IG himself. Despite the fact that the actions of the detained police men are inimical to humanity, in this situation, who will bell the cat? can IG arrest himself or who is to do it, his boys or who, the judge that gave the order? Tell me. It's really impossible. Beside. the policemen deserve no mercy. I see the two as devils on the cross.
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Permalink Reply by olugbo ese abel on
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He was the same person that order the arrest of Chief James Ibori..........face it now, Onovo.
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if ONOVO is arrested then who will secure the lifes and property in the country??
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