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Yemi Adedeji, Abuja
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity Thursday forced open the National Headquarters of Peace Corps, after the refusal of Ibrahim Idris ,Inspector General of Police (IGP), to unseal the Headquarters of the Corps as directed by Justice Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The coalition while addressing a press conference in Abuja dared the police to brutalise the members of the coalition as they were bent on enforcing the court judgement.
The headquarters of the Corps was illegally sealed by the IGP since February 28, 2017.
Delivering his judgement in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/176/2017 on November 9,2017, Justice Kolawole ruled that the headquarters be unsealed forwith and also awarded a sum of N12.5 million for general damages in favour of the applicant and against the IGP Idris.
The Coordinator of the group, Barr. Edward Omaga stressed that, “it is rather crude for the IGP Idris to keep pursuing personal vendetta against the Corps simply because he erroneously thinks that the organisation, when fully established as a government agency will usurp the powers if the NPF and cause shortage to their annual budgetary allocation.
“We cannot fold our arms and watch IGP Idris perpetuate executive recklessness at this time of our national life when love, peace, patriotism, unity and caution should be our watch word,” he noted.
Omaga noted: “The judgement did not give Idris any seven days whatsoever within which to unseal the office. We are aggrieved that the judgment was served by the bailiffs of court on the Nigerian Police Force since November 10,2017 and again served on all parties by the Chambers of Kanu Agabi and Co, SAN on November 13,2017 for compliance, only for the CP Legal, Force Headquarters named Mr. David Igbodo to come up with a lame excuse the NPF cannot unseal the office now because their teams of lawyers are still studying the judgement.
“This again is high contradictory, since the same Police claimed they never sealed the Peace Corps headquarters
“It is obvious the IGP and his mischievous allies are either confused about the interpretation of the plain wordings of the judgement or the IGP lacks respect for the judiciary and the rule of law.,” Omaga stressed.
The coalition said it expects the IGP to borrow a leaf from the Senate and jettison his confrontational posture, ego and stiff opposition towards the Corps .
However, the police officers stationed at the headquarters of the corps watched helplessly as the gate was forced open.
