The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Director General, Department of State Service, and the Inspector General of Police to protect the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Leke Abejide from any arrest or detention by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
The DSS, Police, and Bello were also in separate orders, barred from inviting, arresting, detaining, or threatening the life and property of the governorship candidate pending the hearing and determination of a suit instituted against them by the politician.
Abejide had approached the court through his lawyer, Sammie Somiari, SAN in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1248/2023 for enforcement of his fundamental rights to life, the dignity of person, personal liberty, fair hearing, peaceful assembly, and association.
He complained that since he emerged as a governorship candidate and his campaign booming, Governor Yahaya Bello had allegedly become jittery and threatened and opted to get him arrested and caged to keep him out of circulation.
Abejide who was recently in the House of Representatives from Kogi West side of the state alleged that the ultimate aim of the governor is to harass, intimidate, threaten, and get him out of the November 11, 2023 governorship election at all costs to pave way for his anointed candidate in the All Progressives Congress.
After listening to the arguments of the senior lawyer along with tendered exhibits, Justice Mohammed issued the restraining orders against the respondents to the effect that the applicant must not be arrested, detained, or harassed pending the resolution of his substantive suit.
Issuing the restraining orders on Wednesday the presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, ordered the DSS, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps to also protect the properties of the politician in Abuja, Kogi State, and in any part of the country while the orders last.
The judge thereafter, fixed September 20 for the hearing of the substantive suit.
“An order is hereby made restraining the respondents, their agents, servants, and anybody acting through or under them from arresting, inviting, detaining or threatening the applicant’s life and properties pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
“An order is hereby made compelling the 2nd – 8th respondents to immediately provide maximum security to the applicant in Abuja FCT, Kogi State, and elsewhere in Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit,” the judge held.
The judge ordered the applicant to serve all processes in respect of the suit on the respondents.
Efforts to get the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, were not successful, as calls and messages to his line were not answered.
