IGP, 4 Others Ordered To Stop Harassing A House-wife

By Garry Ochigbo

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Inspector-General of Police and four others from further harassing, intimidating, and humiliating an Abuja-based housewife and her in-law and to produce them in court at the next sitting.

The court gave the order in a ruling on an ex-parte order argued by their counsel, Akintayo Balogun on behalf of Mrs. Esther Stephanie Shehu and Mr. David Isaac Kpanaki, the 1st and 2nd applicants.

The respondents in the suit are the Inspector General of Police, Nigerian Police Force, the Commissioner of Police, Kwara State; SP. Sadiq Sule and Dr. Kamoru Yusuf, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents.

Justice Olajuwon gave an order restraining 1st to 4th Respondents whether by themselves, their agents, employees, operatives, detectives, investigating officers, and others from further harassing and arresting the applicants pending the determination of the suit.

In the substantive suit, Mrs. Shehu and her in-law, Mr. Kpanaki, are seeking the enforcement of their fundamental rights against the Inspector-General of Police and four others over alleged unlawful arrest, dehumanization, and illegal detention or publication of a public apology to the applicants by the respondents and payment of N10 billion compensation.

A supporting affidavit deposed to by Blessing Ijomah, Litigation Secretary in the law firm of the Counsel to the applicants, said that on August 2, 2023, while in their home at Gwarimpa, Abuja, police officers invaded their house to arrest the husband of the 1st applicant, Mr. Ibrahim Shehu, but did not meet him at home.

They said his planned arrest was instigated and sponsored by Kamoru Yusuf (the 5th respondent), who was involved in a civil business transaction with Mr. Shehu.

The officers returned at a later time of the day to pick up her husband and when they did not meet him, they arrested her and Mr. Kpanaki in place of Mr. Shehu who was allegedly handcuffed jointly and taken in the boot of a police Hilux car and moved to Ilorin, Kwara State, in that dehumanizing condition.

They were detained in the police cell from August 2 to August 4, before they were subsequently charged before a Magistrate Court in Ilorin on a First Information Report on allegations bordering on cheating and obstruction of police from discharging their lawful duties.

To this day, the Ilorin Magistrate Court has not yet ruled on the application made by the Prosecuting counsel in compliance with the order from Abuja.

Meanwhile, the matter has been adjourned to October 10 for a hearing and for the Respondents to produce the Applicants in court and show cause why they should not be admitted to bail.

Edited By Grace Namiji