Over two months after Justice
Gabriel Kolawole of Federal High Court in Abuja ordered immediate opening of
the National Headquarters of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), another Judge of the
Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has declared as “an act of illegality,”
the continuous sealing of the said office by the Police.
The corporate headquarters of the
Corps located at No 57 Iya Abubakar Crescent, off Alex Ekwueme way, opposite
Jabi Lake, Jabi, Abuja, had been under lock and keys since 28th February, 2017,
when the Police raided the premises and arrested the National Commandant, Amb
(Dr.) Dickson Akoh and 49 other officers.
The Nigerian Police had, however,
denied sealing the office before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Counsel to the Nigerian Police in
the ongoing amended criminal charge against Akoh, JC Idachaba, had on 8th
November 2017, moved a motion, asking the court for an order to seal the
National Headquarters of PCN.
The motion of notice which was
filed on the 4th of October, 2017, has 16-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one
Sergeant Philip Tsumba and 17-paragraph written address.
Idachaba denied the fact that the
office had been sealed ab initio, saying the Defendant Applicant could not
produce any evidence to compel the court to believe that the office was sealed.
On his part, Counsel to the PCN
and Head of Chief Kanu Agabi Chambers, John Ochogwu, in an emotion laden voice
prayed the court to help unseal the office as his client, the PCN had suffered
hardship since the office was sealed 11 months ago.
Chief Agabi, had also filed a
motion on notice on 6th October 2017, seeking an order of the court to unseal
the Peace Corps office.
The motion which was supported by
20-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Barr. Ogar Christopher Ogar with
written addresses and 4 exhibits, said the Nigerian Police had sealed the Peace
Corps office since the day it raided the premises February 28th 2017, when the
National Commandant of the Corps, Akoh and 49 others were arrested.
Barrister Ochogwu tendered
picture evidences, showing the office was under lock and keys with heavy
presence of the Nigerian Police and Police Van.
He prayed the court to mandate an
officer of the court to visit the said office with the view to ascertaining the
veracity or otherwise of the claim that the Police sealed the office.
Delivering his ruling on the
application by the Police to seal the already sealed Peace Corps Office,
Justice Tsoho, on Monday declared that the applicant was seeking an order to
“legalise the illegality” it has committed 11 months ago.
He berated the Nigerian Police
for not have approached the court to seek order to seal off the Peace Corps
office before taking it under lock and keys.
The Judge therefore, declared the
continous siege on Peace Corps office illegal and ordered that “the office be
unsealed forthwith”.
Reacting to the judgement, the
National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Amb (Dr.) Dickson Akoh said the
Police had no option than to obey the court judgement.
“If the Police wants to continue
to prosecute criminal cases in court or press charges against anyone in the
court of law, then it must obey court judgements,” Akoh said.
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