Court gives police, DSS 12 days to justify Peace Corps clampdown

By Vivian Okejeme
Abuja

Justice Gabriel Kolawale of a Federal High Court, Abuja , yesterday, gave the Inspector General of Police, the National Security Adviser, and the  Director General of Department of State Security Services, a 12-day ultimatum within which to justify the clampdown on the Peace Corps of Nigeria.

The court also ordered them to defend the arrest and detention of the National Commandant of Peace Corps, Amb. Dickson Akoh, and 49 other members of the Corps.
The court asked them to show in the affidavit why the court should not order them to unseal or vacate the headquarters of the PCN.

In the ruling, Justice Kolawole said the NSA, Police and DSS must also justify in their affidavit evidence why previous judgements of the court in favour of PCN were not complied with in spite of directive to that effect in writing by the AGF.

The judge said he was tempted to grant the prayers of the applicant in the ex parte motion and in view of previous judgements delivered by the court, but decided to give the defendants until March 28, 2017, to enable them respond in affidavit evidence to the breach of fundamental rights of the applicants.

“To allow this phenomenon to take a firm root in our legal system by law enforcement agents, is to aid the gradual erosion of the foundation and efficacy of the constitution, and where that is allowed, we can as well bid a farewell to the concept of constitutional democracy, which in all civilised system, is firmly rooted in the principle of rule of law, which make government accountable to the people.”

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