Court grants leave to IGP to appeal ruling on fundamental right suit

An FCT High Court sitting in Jabi on Thursday granted leave to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to appeal a ruling on his enforcement of human right given by it.

Justice Abba-Bello Muhammad of the court had on Jan. 22, differed his decision to give judgment in the right suit filed by the IGP against the senate and some of its members.

This action was against the ruling of the court on Dec. 4, that fixed Jan. 22, to deliver judgment on the suit.

Recall that the IGP had filed an enforcement of human right against the Senate, President Bukola Sarahi, Senators Isah Misau and Francis Alimikhena since November 2017.

The rest were senators Binta Garba, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Duro Samuel, Ogba Obinna, Nelson Effiong and Abdulaziz Nyako.

The fourth to the 10th respondents were members of the ad hoc committee that sat on the complaint of financial misappropriation in the police made by the third respondent -Misau.

Justice Muhammad had on Jan. 22, differed judgment following an application by the respondent Counsel, Mr Abdul Mohammed against the proceeding.

He had urged the court at the last adjourned date not to deliver judgment in the interest of justice and that it should give the respondents a fair hearing by allowing it to say its part in the suit.

At the resumed hearing, Mohammed informed the court that the respondents had filed comprehensive processes to defend the matter.

“We rely on all the submission contained there-in in our affidavit and written addresses, as the answers for the application of the applicant request for his fundamental right.

“Our humble submission is that our application is an attempt to water down all the exhibits tendered by the applicant.

“Our further and better affidavit seems to bring in certified true copy by the value of exhibit C1, C2, H1, J1 and K1 tendered by the applicant, they are all attempts to overreach the respondent,’’ he said.

According to Mohammed, some of the documents tendered in the matter by the applicant are not certified by the appropriate body saddled with the responsibility of certification.

He added that the applicant failed woefully by not doing the proper thing in some of the documents he tendered before the court and called on the court to do justice to the matter.

The applicant counsel, Mr Alex Izinyon (SAN) said most of the arguments by the respondents counsel were not the true position of the law.

Izinyon told the court that the applicant had filed a better affidavit to justify the applicant position which brought about the suit and asked the court to look at it and do justice to the matter.

Meanwhile, Justice Muhammad had again adjourned the matter for judgment until April 10.