The Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), on Tuesday, appealed to the Inspector General of Police (I-G) to obey court orders and unseal its office in Jabi, Abuja.
The National Commandant of the Corps, Mr Dickson Akoh made this appeal during a peaceful rally held in front of their locked office in Jabi to commemorate the 20th anniversary of PCN in Nigeria.
Akoh stated that the PCN office had been under lock and key by the Police since Feb. 28, 2017, the day the office was inaugurated.
“We ought to celebrate our 20th anniverasary with activities lined up, but for the police blocking of the office; PCN is not a robbery or a kidnappers den.
“There were two court orders urging the police to vacate the premises of the PCN office in Jabi, the more the court orders, the more the police intensified their presence in our office in Jabi.
“In advance countries, even if the magistrate or area court gives order, one must comply, we thereby appeal to Mr President to call the I-G to order,” Akoh said.
He said the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and National Human Right Commission (NHRC) should be at the front burner to ensure justice and rule of law.
Akoh said that although the Attorney General of the Federation had written to I-G to obey court order and the National Assembly also gave a 21 days ultimatum but it had not yielded any result.
” We are not here to attack anyone or property or obstruct traffic, we are here to assume jurisdiction over our office as order by the court and National Assembly.
” We rented the property, they should verify, we paid 13.8 million to the owner annually, a year has gone, the second year is going.
” This time around, we want the police to vacate our premises, since the President did not assent to PCN bill, they should allow us to operate as NGO,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent, who was at the scene, observed that while the journalists were been addressed in front of PCN building, Jabi office, the Police interrupted by firing tear gas.
NAN reports that Justice Gabriel Kolawole and John Tsoho both of the Federal High Court Abuja, had in separate rulings, ordered the Police to vacate the property.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami had also written to the I-G Idris Ibrahim, advising that the office be unsealed, “in absence of any appeal or valid stay of execution”.
Various Civil Society Organisations and the National Human Rights Commission had also, at different times intervened in the matter, but the Police appeared not to be responding to their entreaties.
