Three Federal High Courts sitting in Abuja and Niger State, in the last three weeks, ordered the arrest of three top security chiefs in the country.
The top security chiefs include Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Abdulrasheed Bawa, Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya.
The courts, in their various judgments, had ordered the arrest and imprisonment of the three senior officials in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
The arrests were ordered over the top officials’ alleged contempt of court.
EFCC’s Abdulrasheed Bawa
On November 8, Justice Chizoba Oji of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Maitama ordered the remand of Bawa at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
Bawa was charged with contempt of Justice Oji’s order to the commission on November 21, 2018 directing the EFCC to return a Range Rover (Super charge) and N40 million confiscated from AVM Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, a former Director of Operations at the Nigerian Air Force.
Justice Oji ordered that Bawa “should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre for his disobedience and continued disobedience of the said order of court made on November 21st, 2018, until he purges himself of the contempt”.
On November 10, however, the court nullified its earlier order jailing Bawa, for contempt.
IGP Usman Baba Alkali
On November 29, another Federal High Court in Abuja, convicted the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a valid court order.
Justice M. O. Olajuwon who delivered the judgment, committed the IGP to prison for three months,
Justice Olajuwon insisted that IGP Baba must obey an order made since October 21, 2011.
“If at the end of the three months, the contemnor remains recalcitrant and still refuses to purge his contempt, he shall be committed for another period and until he purges his contempt,” the court held.
The IGP’s committal is sequel to a suit that was filed by a police officer, Mr. Patrick Okoli, who was illegally and forcefully retired from service.
The judge said despite the Police Service Commission (PSC)recommending Okoli’s reinstatement into the Police, the IGP refused to comply with an order by the court affirming the recommendation of the PSC.
In his reaction, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the IGP did not disregard the court order or the rule of law as “the office is not aware of any Court Order, during the current IGP’s tenure, with respect to a matter making the round in the media that the IGP disobeyed a Court Order for the reinstatement of a dismissed officer of the Force.”
Army Chief Yahaya Farouk
The latest security top brass to be convicted for contempt was the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Yahaya Farouk.
On December 1, a Federal High Court in Minna, the Niger State Capital, ordered that General Farouk be picked up for contempt.
Justice Halima Abdulmalik, who gave the order, said the judgment is in pursuant to order forty-two rule ten of the Niger State High Court Civil Procedure 2018.
General Farouk is ordered to be kept in Minna correctional custody for contentions of order of the court on October 12, 2022, adding that the COAS is to remain in custody till he has been “purged” of the contempt.
Also, affected was the Commandant Training and Doctrine Command, Minna, Major General Olugbenga Olabanji, whom Justice Halima Abdulmalik has ordered his arrest and imprisonment for similar offenses.
Justice Abdulmalik then adjourned the case to December 8 for continuation.
