Court stops police, DSS from arresting Kogi SDP spokesperson, Adejoh-Audu

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has stopped the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Unuoha, from arresting the spokesperson of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Mr Faruk Adejoh-Audu.

Also restrained in the order issued by the high court are the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Kogi State Director of DSS.

The restraining order against the security agents is to last till the final determination of a motion on notice in an action for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights brought by Adejoh-Audu, who claimed his life has come under serious threat from the defendants.

Adejoh-Audu, a veteran journalist, activist and politician, had gone to court after altercations between him and Unuoha on election matters, after which the latter publicly threatened the spokesman to expect some unstated consequences.

The SDP Spokesperson had, on November 29, 2023, accused the police chief of collaborating with thugs to attack the interests of his party in the recently conducted governorship election in Kogi.

However, the police commissioner held a press conference the next day in Lokoja and gave Adejoh-Audu a 24-hour ultimatum to substantiate his allegations or “be ready to face the consequences of his actions.”

The SDP spokesperson had responded in a 17-paragraph document justifying his allegations.

An FCT High Court presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu, after listening to O. U. Salifu, lawyer to the SDP spokesman, in an ex-parte application, granted the order restraining the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of DSS from arresting or interfering with the liberty of the applicant.

The court has adjourned the matter to December 18, 2023, for the hearing of the motion on notice.