A Minna based legal practitioner has petition chairman of Police Service Commission over abuse of court order in the arrest of a gold merchant in Minna
BY UTHMAN BABA-SIRAJDEEN, MINNA.
A Minna based legal practitioner Abubakar Isah Lapai Esq, has Petition the Chairman Police Service Commission (PSC) over the abuse of office and flagrant disobedience of court order in suit number NSHC/MN/145/2025,
The legal Practitioner,in his Petition addressed to the Chairman Police Service Commission called on Investigation into the arrest of a Minna based Gold merchant Abdulkadir Yunusa Shittu.
The Legal practitioner claimed that some Operatives of the Force Intelligent Department (FID), led by West Egede,Muhammad Ibn Salihu on the instruction of the Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) in-charge of FID Yahaya Abubakar effected the arrest of the the Gold merchant to Abuja.
He disclosed that the Operatives on their arrival in Minna they reported at the office of the Commissioner of Police in Niger State CP Abdullahi Adamu Elleman and handed over his client to the Operatives
According to the legal practitioner,there was a valid Court order restraining the arrest and harassment of his client yet the Operatives of the FID came to Minna and picked his client even with the valid Court order.
Abubakar Isah Lapai Esq has approached the court for an order of enforcement of the fundamental right to right of liberty as Provided and protected under section 35 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and article 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Right (ratification and enforcement) Act, (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and under the inherent Powers of the Honorable Court as recognised and preserved under section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Joined in the suit Include Yahaya Nasidi, West Egede, Muhammad Ibn Salihu, the Inspector General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Force Intelligent Department (FID), Muhammed Ringim (Rtd DIG), and Nigerian Police Force (NPF) all respondents.
Justice Mariya Mahmud Ismaila of Minna High Court number three had on Wednesday, the 16th of July 2025 rulled on the originating motion on notice dated 5th day of May,2025 restraining the respondents from carrying any unpleasant action against the applicants. Abdulkadir Yunusa Shittu.
The Legal practitioner stated that his client has been engaging in gold busines for the past ten years with his business address situated in Abdulkadir Kure Ultra- Mordern Market.
His business partner, according to the lawyer, is one Yahaya Nasidi ” with whom they had dealings countless times.
” Unfortunately, sometimes in February 2025, the said Yahaya Nasidi gave our client some amount of monies to purchase gold in Minna,after the said purchase, some armed robbers attacked our client’s brother by name Attahiru Abdulkadir (AKA) Babawo along Kpakungu in Minna.
” During the robbery attack, they carted away with the entire gold worth over N200,000 (two hundred million Naira).
” Immediately this happened,our client lodged before the CP Crack Squad led by CSP Hassan Gimba and full-blown Investigation was Commenced leading to the arrest of four suspects while others were at large” he lamented in the petition.
The four suspects arrested, Barrister Isah Lapai disclosed that are Presently being prosecuted at the Minna Chief Magistrate court Number four in case nber CMCIV/MN/20/2025 COP vs Mubarak Nura and three others and also case number CMCIV/MN/CR/32/2025 COP vs Sadiq Adamu.
He stated that while the Crack Squad are still conducting their Investigation, the said Yahaya Nasidi rushed to the force Intelligent Department in Abuja to lodged a complaint against his client and on the 10th of March 2025 Operatives of the FID stormed Minna and bundled him to Abuja.
He was detained for two days and the intervention of the Gold dealers association Chairman secured his bail, alleging that since his release from detention, Operatives of the force Intelligent Department have been threatening the life of his client.
That if he refused to pay back the said Yahaya Nasidi his money they would deal with him. ” Based on this persistent threats, our firm wrote a letter dated 10th April 2025 and received on the 11th 2025 addressed to the DIG Force Intelligent Department narrating the Incident that happened and the success recorded by the CP Crack Squad in Minna but the said letter never yielded any positive result”.
He wondered that despite valid Court order and judgement restraining the police from arresting him as explained to the Commissioner of Police in Niger State he still instructed the officers from Abuja to go with our client in flagrant disobedience to the court judgement.
The legal practitioner noted that action of the IGP Force Intelligent Department Abuja and that of the Niger State Commissioner of Police as highly unprofessional and an affront to the Judiciary.
While acknowledging the partnership between the Police and the Judiciary in the administration of Criminal Justice, the lawyer wondered aloud that the police be seen to work with due respect and synergy, warning that if such actions are allowed,”it would only make mockery of the system”
