Dino Melaye: Police Has No Right To Declare Any Citizen Wanted - Victor Ekim

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Dino Melaye: Police Has No Right To Declare Any Citizen Wanted - Victor Ekim

 

A Former Vice Chairman of the FCT Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association, Victor Ekim, has said the police have no right to declare any citizen wanted.

He said this when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Wednesday following the decision of the Police to declare the senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye and seven others, wanted. 

Ekim said what the police ought to have done was to send a letter to the Senate President, requesting that he produces Senator Melaye or go to court.

“I would say that amounts to trivializing the issue. Dino Melaye is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I think they have these appellation ‘distinguished’ attached to their names.

“He draws salary from the taxpayers’ funds, so he can be reached through the Senate President. The proper approach is to send a letter to the Senate President, requesting that he produce Dino Melaye to the police authority for questioning.

“A second way to go about it is to present a court with the allegation against Dino Melaye and the evidence the police has gathered against him.

“But the police cannot arrogate unto itself the power to prosecute and pass a sentence by way of declaring a citizen wanted.

“That has been struck down by a court of law in the Federal Capital Territory where honourable Justice Musa declared the powers of the EFCC to declare a citizen wanted, illegal.

“The Police on its own does not have a right to declare a citizen wanted, it means you are the complainant, the investigator and the one declaring him wanted so you’re overriding judicial powers,” he stated.

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APC Crises: Buhari Lacks The Power To Determine The Tenures Of APC Officers - APC Tells Court

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APC Crises: Buhari Lacks The Power To Determine The Tenures Of APC Officers - APC Tells Court

 

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that President Muhammadu Buhari lacks the power to determine tenure of its officers.

The party said this while opposing the hearing of the suit by aggrieved members of the party over the tenure elongation for the National Working Committee, NWC, led by John Odigie Oyegun before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

The aggrieved members, led by Ademorin Kuye and Are Mutiu (Lagos); Sani Mayanchi (Zamfara); and Machu Tokwat (Kaduna) had earlier sought an ex parte order directing the NWC members to show cause why the court should not stop them from continuing as national officers of the party effective June 30.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the APC, the party’s national chairman, Oyegun and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso were joined as respondents in the suit.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the agitating members, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, demanded that the case be heard since Buhari had at the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party on Tuesday, admitted that the tenure elongation was illegal.

However, defence lawyers, Akin Olujimi, SAN, Joseph Daudu, SAN, James Onoja SAN, and Idris Yakubu, asked the court to adjourn the matter to enable them respond to the originating processes just served on them.

Daudu, standing as the counsel to the APC, argued that Order 7 Rule 1 provided for 30 days from the date of filing the suit for a reply.

He therefore asked the court to discountenance Okutepa’s submission.

Responding to the president’s comment on Oyegun and others’ tenure elongation, Daudu said whatever view thereof was Buhari’s personal opinion and carried no weight until the party met and deliberated on the matter.

He told the court, “As far as President Buhari’s view is concerned, it carries no weight until the party meet and decide and deliberated on it. As far as the party is concerned he is an ordinary member like others.”

Having listened to the argument of counsel, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba assured that the court would give fair hearing to all parties in the matter.

He also ordered the filing and service of processes before the court and adjourned till April 16 for hearing.

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Dino Melaye Alleged Gunrunning Case in Kogi state Transferred To Abuja

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Dino Melaye Alleged Gunrunning Case in Kogi state Transferred To Abuja

 

The court case involving embattled senator, Dino Melaye for allegedly arming political thugs in Kogi State has been transferred to Abuja Federal High court.

This was disclosed by the Senator on his official Twitter page.

The tweet read “I have just been contacted by my lawyer Ricky Tafa that the case against me by the Inspector General of Police in Lokoja has been transferred to Federal High Court Abuja. God is a good God.”

This is coming at a time the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris ordered the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, Ali Janga following the escape of six suspects from police custody early Wednesday morning.

We reported that two suspects, Kabiru Saidu A.k.a Osama and Nuhu Salisu A.k.a small who accused the lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye of arm sponsorship escaped from police custody on Wednesday.

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Police Defies Court Order, Prevents Peace Corp From Occupying Office

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Police Defies Court Order, Prevents Peace Corp From Occupying Office

 

The Nigeria Police on Thursday prevented members of the Peace Corps of Nigeria from taking possession of their national headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.

The premises had remained sealed by the police since February 28, 2017.

The police ignored orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja with the attendant letter from the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, directing it to vacate the premises.

Also, the House of Representatives through its Committee on Public Petitions, on Tuesday, urged the police to comply with court orders and the advice of the AGF.

However, officers of Peace Corps led by the National Commandant, Dickson Akoh joined by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Justice and Equity, stormed the sealed premises on Thursday to take possession of the offices.

They were resisted by a detachment of Mobile Police officers from the FCT Command.

Reacting to this development, the civil society coalition led by Olayemi Success, said it was ironical that the police expected to obey laws were seen disobeying court orders.

“Same police which was supposed to be enforcing law could not obey court orders, the AGF and the order of Nigerian parliament,” Success said

When contacted, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bello Sadiq, pleaded with the corps to hold on while he consulted the Inspector General of Police, whom he said had final say on the matter.

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