Contempt: Applicants seek to imprison IGP, IPO, Anambra CP

NINETEEN persons, who obtained an interim order from an Otuocha
High Court in Otuocha Judicial Division of Anambra State,
restraining the Inspector-General of Police, IGP; an Investigating
Police Officer, IPO from IGP’s Special Tactical Squad, STS, Abuja,
ASP Olima Jackson and Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP from
arresting them, pending the determination of their motion on
notice, have approached the court with Forms 48 and 49, seeking to
commit the trio to prison for contempt of the court.

In the committal proceedings (Form 49) filed before the Otuocha
High in Otuocha Judicial division, presided over by Justice D.O.C.
Amaechina, the applicants, Anayo Nnabugwu, Okechukwu Okereke, Peter
Ezeononigbo and others prayed the court to commit the trio to
prison for disobeying its earlier order.

In the application filed on their behalf, by their legal
counsel, H. N. C. Moghalu Esq., under Order 9, Rule 13(1), (2) and
(30 of the Judgement Enforcement Enforcement Procedure Rules, the
applicants complained that the trio had in defiance of earlier
order issued by the court, continued to hunt, arrest, detain and
charge them to court for murder.

Specifically, the applicants referred to an eight-count charge
of conspiracy, attempted murder, unlawful possession of fire arms
and armed robbery preferred against them at Nteje Chief Magistrate
Court where they had so far pleaded not guilty to all the
charges.

In an affidavit in support of the Form 49 deposed to by the 16th
applicant, Anthony Abazu, on their behalf, the applicants recalled
that on February 22, this year, this honourable court made an order
of interim injunction asking the IGP, IPO and CP to stop arresting
them, pending the hearing on determination of the substantive
motion and the order was duly served on them, yet they continued to
hunt for them.

Abazu further recalled that while “the order is still
subsisting, the second respondent, ASP Olima Jackson, acting on the
instructions of the IGP and Anambra CP, and with police officers
assigned to him, started hunting for them (applicants), to the
extent that they arrested the 13th applicant, Chinazam Ezeanyom and
took him to Abuja where they detained him for several days.”

NINETEEN persons, who obtained an interim order from an Otuocha
High Court in Otuocha Judicial Division of Anambra State,
restraining the Inspector-General of Police, IGP; an Investigating
Police Officer, IPO from IGP’s Special Tactical Squad, STS, Abuja,
ASP Olima Jackson and Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP from
arresting them, pending the determination of their motion on
notice, have approached the court with Forms 48 and 49, seeking to
commit the trio to prison for contempt of the court.

In the committal proceedings (Form 49) filed before the Otuocha
High in Otuocha Judicial division, presided over by Justice D.O.C.
Amaechina, the applicants, Anayo Nnabugwu, Okechukwu Okereke, Peter
Ezeononigbo and others prayed the court to commit the trio to
prison for disobeying its earlier order.

In the application filed on their behalf, by their legal
counsel, H. N. C. Moghalu Esq., under Order 9, Rule 13(1), (2) and
(30 of the Judgement Enforcement Enforcement Procedure Rules, the
applicants complained that the trio had in defiance of earlier
order issued by the court, continued to hunt, arrest, detain and
charge them to court for murder.

Specifically, the applicants referred to an eight-count charge
of conspiracy, attempted murder, unlawful possession of fire arms
and armed robbery preferred against them at Nteje Chief Magistrate
Court where they had so far pleaded not guilty to all the
charges.

In an affidavit in support of the Form 49 deposed to by the 16th
applicant, Anthony Abazu, on their behalf, the applicants recalled
that on February 22, this year, this honourable court made an order
of interim injunction asking the IGP, IPO and CP to stop arresting
them, pending the hearing on determination of the substantive
motion and the order was duly served on them, yet they continued to
hunt for them.

Abazu further recalled that while “the order is still
subsisting, the second respondent, ASP Olima Jackson, acting on the
instructions of the IGP and Anambra CP, and with police officers
assigned to him, started hunting for them (applicants), to the
extent that they arrested the 13th applicant, Chinazam Ezeanyom and
took him to Abuja where they detained him for several days.”