A Federal High Court in Umuahia, is set to hear a contempt case against top police officials and others for allegedly disregarding a court order in a fundamental rights enforcement suit with the suit number FHC/CS12/2024.
Chief Stephen O. Okoro, an 87-year-old man, has filed a motion on notice seeking to commit the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9, Umuahia, Echeng Echeng, and four others to prison for allegedly disobeying a court order restraining them from arresting or detaining him pending the determination of a fundamental rights suit.
The other respondents in the case are Ugochukwu Okoro, Uzoma Okoro, Augustine Idiche Okoro, and Chinedu Francis Okoro, who allegedly instigated the police to arrest Chief Okoro despite the subsisting court order.
According to the supporting affidavit, Chief Okoro was arrested on July 28, 2024, while on his way to church and detained till late at night by officers of the AIG, Zone 9, Umuahia. The arrest was allegedly based on a petition dated March 13, 2024, which formed the basis of the fundamental rights enforcement suit in which the court had issued a restraining order on March 20, 2024.
The applicant contends that the respondents, by arresting him based on the same petition that was the subject of the subsisting court order, have disobeyed the court’s directive. He argues that the Inspector General of Police and the AIG, Zone 9, Umuahia, are under strict constitutional obligation to obey the orders of the Federal High Court.
In his written address in support of the motion, the applicant’s counsel contends that the court has the requisite jurisdiction to grant the application, citing Order 35 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 and Section 287(3) of the Nigerian Constitution. The counsel argues that the respondents’ disobedience of the court order is “devastatingly earth-shaking” and must be dealt with to maintain the integrity and sanctity of the court.
The Federal High Court in Umuahia is expected to hear arguments on the application and determine whether the respondents should be committed to prison for contempt.