Court Orders Police To Release Persecuted Governorship Candidate

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday directed the Inspector General of Police; Mr Hafiz Ringim, to release the governorship candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria for Akwa Ibom state, Senator James Akpanudoedehe from custody.The order was granted by Justice Adamu Bello upon a motion exparte filed on behalf of Akpanudoedehe by his counsel, Mr. Kola Awodein, a senior advocate of Nigeria. The judge also ordered Mr. Ringim and the prosecution to give effect to the order which it made on 30th March admitting Akpanudoedehe to bail pending the hearing and determination of the charge against him.

Mr. Awodein said the urgent motion was based on the fact that Akpanudoedehe who had been granted bail by the court, was forcibly molested and abducted by police officers from the court room while waiting to perfect his bail condition. He said by police officers were acting on the instruction of the federal government who is the respondent to the motion exparte.

The IGP, he said ordered the arrest of the applicant for the purpose of remanding him in jail thereby inhibiting the gubernatorial candidate from perfecting his bail conditions, adding that the conduct of the police constitute an abuse of court process as it is designed to frustrate, irritate and annoy the accused.“The conduct of forcibly removing and abducting the accused and thus preventing him from perfecting the conditions of his bail by the IGP, his officers and the prosecution amounts to usurpation of the authority of this court”, he stated and urged the court to grant the exparte as grave mischief, irreparable loss and damage will be occasioned if the Police were first put on notice in the usual way.

In a 17-paragraph affidavit of urgency attached to the motion, the senior advocate averred that Akpanudoedehe is incarcerated in the custody of the police and has been deprived of his freedom and personal liberty for just no cause.“That having regard to the manner that the applicant was forcibly adopted from the courtroom, where he was slapped and physically molested by police officers and agents of the respondents, there is very grave apprehension for the applicant’s safety and well being.“That the applicant who has been arrested by the police since 22nd March, 2011 is very hypertensive and suffer from polyuria, polybypsia and blurring vision and his health is in serious jeopardy as he has been denied medications and the proper medical attentions that his health conditions demand”, the affidavit added.

The former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory was on 22nd March, arraigned by the police on a 4-count charge bordering on treason and felony. He pleaded “not guilty” and was granted bail in the sum of Ten Million and a surety in like sum. He was yet to perfect the bail condition when the police abducted him from the premises of the court and he is still in the custody of the police and security agencies in wanton violation of the order of the court which admitted him to bail.

By Nnamdi Felix / Abuja