Court summons, Saraki, other senators over IG’s probe

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has summoned Senate President Bukola Saraki, and eight others before it to explain why an order seeking to stop the planned probe of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, will not be granted.

This was the fallout of a motion ex-parte filed by the IGP, through his counsel, Alex Iziyon, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

In the said motion, the police boss prayed the court to stop the Senate from going ahead with its planned probe on allegations raised by Senator Isah Misau.

He also joined Misau, Senators Francis Alimikhena, Binta Garba, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Duro Samuel, Ogba Obinna, Nelson Effiong and Abdulaziz Nyako as defendants.

After listening to the motion, Justice A.B Mohammed in his ruling, ordered the respondents to appear and show cause why the injunction sought by the applicant in the motion number M/222/17 should not be granted.

The judge also granted leave to the IGP to effect service of the originating application and any other processes in the matter on the respondents by three substituted means.

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Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to November 16, for the respondents to appear and show cause and for hearing of the substantive application.

The IGP had filed a suit against Saraki and the Senate before the court.

In the suit, the IGP is seeking an order of court restraining a Senate ad hoc committee from investigating, hearing or taking decisions over allegations against him.

He equally wants the court to restrain the Saraki and the entire Senate from receiving and discussing any report submitted to it by the committee set up to investigate the allegations against him.

He also wants the court to declare that the Committee set up by the Senate to investigate the allegation is unconstitutional, null and void.

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Idris wants the court to also declare the seating and other conducts of the committee to investigate allegations against him is unconstitutional

Idris had brought the suit under the fundamental rights enforcement, where he joined Saraki and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as first and second respondents.

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On his grounds upon which the reliefs are sought, the IGP stated that one Senator Isa Misau, while raising matter of urgent national importance between September and October, 2017 accused him of mounting road blocks across Nigeria with the purpose of extorting money from unsuspecting motorists.

He also stated that the said senator in the motion, accused him of collecting illegal fees by way of security protections given to corporate organizations, eminent citizens and oil running into billions of naira.

In addition, Idris stated that Misau accused him of having “unwholesome relationship with female officers in the force.”