Justice Ibrahim Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital, has threatened to imprison the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, over contempt of court proceedings.
The threat was issued following the failure of the police to release the personal assistant to the governor of Kwara State on political matters, Mr. Olalekan Alabi, despite court orders.
Mr. Alabi is being held in police custody in connection with the bloody Offa town bank robbery which saw about 32 people killed.
He was arrested had been held in detention since 30th of May on suspicion of his role in connection with the famed armed robbery on several banks in Offa.
The court registrar had issued a court document in a “Notice of Consequences of Disobedience of Order of Court (Form 48)” addressed to IGP Idris was contained dated August 10, 2018.
The said document reads in part:
“Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in the order of the High Court of Justice of Kwara State delivered on the 1st of August 2018, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”
Mr. Alabi had been granted an interim bail by court on August 1 after declaring that his continued detention was illegal.
In the view of Justice Yusuf, police had failed to justify their continued detention of Mr. Alabi for more than two months.
The police has, however, refused to release the Special Assistant.
The outright disobedience to the court order prompted the threat of contempt proceedings against the Inspector General of Police.
The police had also declared the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed as suspects into the robbery.
According to the police, Saraki and Ahmed have a case to answer in the matter.
The senate president on his own part however dismissed the invitation saying the charges were trumped up and politically motivated by the executive arm of government .
Similarly, the Attorney-General of the Federation [AGF], Mr. Abubakar Malami has absolved Saraki of involvement in the robbery.
He stated categorically that the police failed to substantiate their claim of his involvement in the robbery.
ElombahNews
