A court in Abuja has summoned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to attend court on September 17, to among others, explain the absence of Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday.
Justice Abdullahi Garuba Ogbede of the Grade 1 Area Court, Aco Estate, Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja ordered the issuance of summons to IGP Idris yesterday, following Saraki’s absence when the case in which he (Saraki) is listed as defendant, was called.
The Senate president is listed as the sole defendant in a criminal complaint made against him by an Abuja lawyer and rights activist, Oluwatosin Ojaomo, in relation to the ongoing investigation by the police into the April 5 bank robbery in Offa, Kwara State.
In the complaint marked: CR/196/2018, filed under Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Ojaomo argued that Saraki’s alleged refusal to honour an invitation allegedly sent to him by the police, in relation to the Offa robbery investigation, amounted to “obstructing a criminal investigation and disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility.”
At the last hearing on August 3, Justice Ogbede ordered that processes in the case be served on Saraki and adjourned till September 10 for report of service and hearing.
At the resumption of proceedings yesterday, complainant’s lawyer E. S. Marcus noted that the defendant was absent.
He said neither the IGP nor his lawyer was in court to explain the defendant’s absence.
Marcus told the court that when the complainant could not effect service of the processes on Saraki as ordered by the court, it applied, under Section 122 of the ACJA, to the IGP to help effect service on the defendant.
He said the IGP was required, under the law, to either produce the defendant in court or attend court to explain why the defendant was absent.
Marcus later applied that the IGP be summoned to enable him explain to the court what efforts he made to ensure that the defendant attended court, an application the court granted by ordering the issuance of a witness summons on the IGP.
The witness summons dated September 10, reads: “You are hereby summoned to appear before the Grade 1 Area Court, Aco Estate, Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on the 17th day of September 2018 at 9am to testify about what you know concerning the matter of the said complaint and not to depart thence without permission; and you are hereby warned that if you shall, without just excuse, fail to appear on the said date, a warrant will be issued to compel your attendance.”
The criminal complaint by Ojaomo reads: “Criminal complaint brought pursuant to Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Please, cause a summons for a direct criminal complaint on the defendant on the following terms:
