Kano State House of Assembly Speaker Jibril Ismail Falgore and five others yesterday asked a High Court of Kano State to stop the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from investigating and arresting them.
Others, who are expected to appear before ICPC today, are the Deputy Speaker, Muhammad Butu Butu; Majority Leader, Lawan Dala; Minority Leader, Labaran Madari; the Clerk, of the Assembly, Alhaji Bashir Diso; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The ICPC invited all the leaders for investigation in respect of an ongoing probe of N440million drugs contract scam in 44 local government areas .
All those summoned have, however, asked the Kano State High Court to restrain the ICPC or its agents and privies from inviting, threatening, harassing, arresting or further arresting or detaining them.
But the ICPC yesterday insisted that the lawmakers must honour its invitation.
In their originating summons, dated September 17, the plaintiffs sought the following reliefs:
“A declaration that upon a proper construction of the provisions of Section 4(2) and 5 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the defendant does not have the powers to investigate the legislative functions of the Speaker and three others (plaintiffs as donated to them by the Constitution.
“A declaration that in line with the provisions of Section 4(6-8) and 5 of the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws, the defendant(ICPC) does not have the power to review the plaintiffs’ exercise of legislative powers under Government Law, 2006.”