Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, dragged the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and the Senate before the Federal High Court in Abuja for declaring him an enemy of democracy.
Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, yesterday, dragged the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, and the Senate before the Federal High Court in Abuja for declaring him an enemy of democracy.
Specifically, the IGP, in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/554/2018, prayed the court to bar the Senate from taking further steps with regard to a resolution it reached on May 9, wherein it purportedly passed a vote of no confidence on him. It will be recalled that Senate had in the said resolution, declared the police boss as unfit for any public office, following his repeated refusal to appear before it to answer questions pertaining to the spate of killings across the country and the inhuman treatment allegedly meted out on the lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye.
However, the IGP dismissed the resolution against him as a deliberate blackmail and witch-hunt, insisting he had the backing of the law to send a senior officer of the force of the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police or an Assistant Inspector-General of Police to represent him before the Senate. In the suit he filed through his lawyer, Dr. Alex Iziyon, SAN, the IGP specifically applied for, “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, or through their servant, agents and or privies, whatsoever from acting on the said resolution contained in the gazette dated May 9, 2018, or causing same to be acted upon by any person or authority or government agency, or carrying out similar or like resolution against the applicant.”
He equally sought a declaration that the respondents acted ultra vires their powers under sections 88 and 89 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) in the votes and proceedings leading to the resolution contained in the gazette dated May 9, 2018, imposing a penal sanction on the applicant.
Justice John Tsoho has ordered service of the relevant court processes on the respondents through the Clerk of the National Assembly, even as the case was adjourned till June 27 for hearing.
