The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Monday, issued an interim order, restraining key anti-graft agencies in the country from arresting the former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
Specifically, Justice Donatus Okorowo barred the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, from arresting or detaining Senator Yari, pending the hearing and determination of a suit he lodged before the court.
The court equally extended the interim restraining order to the Department of State Service, DSS, which was cited as the 3rd respondents in the suit.
The order followed an ex-parte application that Yari, who is the Senator-elect for Zamfara West Senatorial District, filed through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, SAN.
Before he adjourned the matter to June 8, Justice Okorowo, ordered Senator Yari to put all the respondents on notice to enable them to appear in court on the next date to show cause why the prayers sought in the ex-parte motion should not be granted.
“The respondents are however restrained from detaining the applicant until the return date for the order to show cause,” the court held.
Senator Yari, who held sway as the governor of Zamfara state from 2011 to 2019, had in the ex-parte application marked: FHC/ANJ/CS/785/23, which he filed on June 2, sought the protection of the court.
The erstwhile governor, who is currently aspiring for the Senate presidency, sought an order of the court, restraining the respondents, their officials, agents, privies, whosoever and howsoever described, from arresting and/or threatening to arrest and detain him in order to prevent him from participating at the Proclamation of the 10th Senate by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on June 13.
On the application he hinged on 15 grounds, Yari, told the court that he was desirous of contesting the position of the President of the Senate of the 10th National Assembly, in accordance with the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and pursuant to the Senate Standing Orders 2022 as (amended).
He told the court that his aspiration to contest the Senate presidency, had received overwhelming support from the general public and other Senators-elect, irrespective of their party affiliations.
According to him, the support he has continued to garner across party lines, has drawn consternation from some members of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, who he alleged have resorted to using the respondents and their agents to harass and threaten to arrest and detain him on trumped-up charges.
He alleged that the plot was to lock him away, for the period leading to the first sitting of the Senate when nominations and election of presiding officers would take place.
“The respondents and their agents have threatened to violate the Applicant’s rights as enshrined in the constitution by unlawfully threatening to arrest and detain the applicant.
“The respondents and their agents are mandated to operate within the ambit of their establishment laws, and to respect the fundamental human rights of the Applicant as enshrined in the Constitution.”
He insisted that without a prompt intervention of the court, his fundamental rights would be breached by the respondents.
