Alleged Murder: Court Restrains Police From Arresting Kogi Lawmaker

A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has restrained the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, from arresting a Kogi House of Assembly member, Friday Sanni, for alleged murder and setting up illegal security outfit.
The House of Representatives had passed a resolution compelling the police to arrest and prosecute the state lawmaker, based on a petition written by Ismaila Husseini, representing Igalamela/Odolu/Ibaji federal constituency, and a former Minister of Interior, Humphery Abba, alleging that Mr Sanni was involved in murder, thuggery and illegal setting up of a security outfit known as ‘Ajana Mopol.
In the petition, the former minister alleged that Mr Sanni had been declared wanted by the police for murder and wondered why the police still left the lawmaker to walk around as a free man.
The House of Representatives had subsequently ordered the Inspector General of Police to issue a warrant of arrest on Mr Sanni and cause him to appear before the ethics and public petition committee to answer to the allegations.
However, the lawmaker who denied all the allegations headed for the court to seek for an exparte order restraining the police, the National Assembly or their agents from arresting, detaining and summoning him before the House committee.
The trial judge, Justice Ekwo Inyang, while granting the application, averred that the fundamental rights of the lawmaker must not by any way be threatened by allegations which had not been determined by the court of law.
Justice Inyang, therefore, ruled that the status quo be retained and ordered the Inspector General of Police, the state Commissioner of Police, the Speaker of the House of Representatives or there agents not to arrest, detain or summon the lawmaker before any committee pending the determination of the case.