Niger Court Orders Arrest Of DPO

Minna High Court 4 in Niger State has ordered the arrest of the divisional police officer (DPO) of Mokwa local government area, DSP Wakili Inusa for refusing the service of the court processes by a bailiff.

The trial judge, Mohammed Mohammed, issued the bench warrant of arrest of the DPO yesterday.

Inusa allegedly refused to accept the court processes after he read through them.

According to the court processes, one Issyaku and other applicants are seeking the enforcement of fundamental rights to the dignity of their persons, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of movement and right to bail.

The respondents in the suit are listed as the Inspector-general of Police, DCP Bello of FIB Special Taskforce, Inusa who is the DPO of Mokwa and one Hamza Baba.

The applicants, according to their counsel, Philip Emmanuel, have been incarcerated for almost three months by the police in Abuja after their arrest in Mokwa.

 Justice Mohammed said the refusal of the DPO to receive the personal service of the court processes was an affront to the administration of the criminal justice system.

He declared that “As a law enforcement officer, the DPO is supposed to uphold the rule of law as done by the 1st and 2nd respondents who are his superiors. This court cannot encourage such misconduct from anybody, especially the law enforcement officer”.

He therefore ordered that “In view of the above, bench warrant is hereby issued against Wakili Inusa, DPO Mokwa to be brought to this court forthwith “.

The judge ordered that the applicants in the matter should be immediately released.