The Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the Inspector General of Police to immediately release the Spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere unconditionally as his arrest is illegal, unlawful and contemptuous of a valid and subsisting Court order.
Ruling in a Motion brought by Chibuzor Ezike, Counsel to Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Court declared as null, void and of no effect any remand order obtained from any inferior Court if he is charged and that such inferior Court upon service of the order of the Court should cause the orders of the court to be complied with.
It would be recalled that the Police on Thursday last week arrested Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at the Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission; INEC following a meeting he attended in preparation of his Party’s planned governorship primaries in Edo and Ondo States. The Police had arrested him on the basis of a petition written by the Clerk of the House of Representatives forwarding a resolution of the House directing the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute the CUPP spokesperson for allegations he made against the House.
The FCT High Court had on 3rd June, 2020 ordered the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of SSS not to give effect to the said resolution of the House yet the Inspector General of Police still went ahead and arrested Mr. Ugochinyere. The rule of law must prevail at all times the judge said and all authorities and persons must obey the courts all the time lest society descends into anarchy.
The Court also ordered that the Order of the Court be served on the Attorney General of the Federation as the chief Law Officer of the Federation. Counsel to Mr. Ugochinyere told journalists that the Inspector General of Police and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila risked jail terms if the order of Court is not obeyed immediately.
