A Upper Area Court 8 sitting in Jalingo, Taraba State, has issued a bench warrant against human rights activist, Abdulmumini Imam, over his repeated failure to appear before the court in a case arising from allegations of diversion of relief materials belonging to the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (TSEMA).
The warrant, issued by the presiding judge, Justice Chris Jonah, followed the defendant’s continued absence from proceedings despite previous adjournments in the matter, which was instituted about five months ago.
Imam had allegedly accused the Executive Secretary of TSEMA of diverting relief materials meant for vulnerable and disaster-affected persons in Taraba State to Kano State.
The allegation was reportedly made on social media and subsequently became the subject of police investigation and legal proceedings, after the SEMA had avail herself to the security agencies for scrutiny and questioning.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and prosecuting counsel, Barr. Mohammed Mustapha, told the court that the matter originated from a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police before the case diary was forwarded to the Taraba State Ministry of Justice in May 2026.
Barr. Mustapha, said the ministry, after reviewing the police case file, filed a fresh complaint before the court against Imam over the allegation.
He stressed that, the defendant should appear in court and substantiate the claims attributed to him.
According to him, the defendant’s appearance would provide an opportunity for him to present whatever evidence he had concerning the alleged diversion and could also assist the government in tracing and identifying those responsible if the allegations were established.
“As a human rights activist who has been advocating for strict adherence to the rule of law and the enforcement of the rights of less privileged people in society, we believe he should be the first person to make himself available in court to stand his trial.
“Running away from the court will not solve his problem. Come and defend yourself, ventilate your grievances and present whatever evidence you have before the court. It will enable the government to trace those involved or responsible,” the DPP said.
Barr. Mustapha, maintained that the bench warrant was issued because of Imam’s persistent failure to appear before the court, and urged him to avail himself of the opportunity provided by the judicial process to defend his position.
The Counsel to the Defendant, Barr. Isa Buba, said the defence had informed the court about Imam’s health condition and urged the court to consider the circumstances surrounding his absence.
Barr. Buba said, the court, after considering the submissions of both parties, declined the defence’s position and issued the bench warrant against his client.
He said the defence would study the ruling to determine whether the legal grounds relied upon by the court in issuing the warrant were sustainable.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until October 13, 2026, for further mention.
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