Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to commit the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, to prison for disobeying the court’s order.
Tambuwal accused Abba of consistently disobeying the court order made on November 7, 2014, which directed parties in his substantive suit filed to stop his removal as a member and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The Speaker had on Thursday filed the fresh application before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, alleging that Abba’s instruction to the men of the police force to deny him access into the premises of the National Assembly preventing him from carrying out his lawful duties on November 20, amounted to flouting the court order.
He added that Abba, in further disrespect of the order, on November 26, appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs and told the members that he would not recognise him (Tambuwal) as the Speaker.
The grounds of Tambuwal’s application read in part, “On November 7, 2014, when this matter came up the 5th defendant (the Inspector General of Police) was represented in court by a learned senior counsel, Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN).
“The learned senior counsel for the 5th defendant informed the honourable court that the the fifth defendant was duly served with the originating summons in this suit.
“This honourable court thereafter ordered that party should maintain status quo pending on the determination of the substantive suit.
“Everybody except Suleiman Abba, Esq, who is the Inspector General of Police, has been obeying the order of this honourable court made on November 7, 2014.”
Tambuwal, through his lawyer, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who leads eight other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and battery of other lawyers, is therefore seeking, “an order of this honourable court directing Suleiman Abba, Esq, (Inspector General of Police) – the 5th defendant in this suit – to appear in person and to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for contempt of order of this honourable court ordering maintenance of status quo on November 7, 2014 and/or for acting in manners and ways which showed disrespect to court.”
Justice Mohammed on Friday asked the plaintiff to convert the application which was filed as an ex parte motion to a motion on notice and serve same on Abba through his lawyer, Okeaya-Inneh.
Thereafter, the trial judge then adjourned till December 3 for the hearing of the application.
