High Court Orders DSS, Police To Stop Yahaya Bello From Arresting Governorship Candidate

A High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Director General, Department of State Service (DSS), and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to give maximum protection to the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Leke Abejide, from any arrest or detention by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.

Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed gave the restraining order on Wednesday in Abuja while ruling in an ex-parte application argued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Sammie Somiari, on behalf of the governorship candidate.

The DSS, Police, and Bello were, in a separate order, barred from inviting, arresting, detaining, or threatening the life and properties of the governorship candidate pending the hearing and determination of a suit instituted against them by the politician.

In the enrolled order signed by Justice Mohammed, the DSS, Police, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps were ordered to protect the properties of the politician in Abuja, Kogi State, and any parts of the country while the orders last.

The governorship candidate in the ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1248/2023 had sought to enforce his fundamental rights to life, dignity of person, personal liberty, fair hearing, peaceful assembly, and association.

He complained that since he emerged as governorship candidate, Bello had allegedly become jittery and threatened to get him arrested and detained to keep him out of circulation.

Abejide further 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 the way for his anointed candidate in the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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.

“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.