CSOs petition reps over police ‘refusal’ to reopen Peace Corps headquarters
The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity (CCSOJE) has petitioned the house of representatives over the “total disregard of court judgements” by Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police.
The group accused the IGP of refusing to unseal the office of the Nigerian Peace Corps against court orders.
In November, a federal high court in Abuja ordered the police to unseal the headquarters of the corps which had been cordoned off since February.
The place is, however, reportedly still under seal by the police despite the court ruling.
An attempt by the coalition to reopen the place had resulted in a clash with the police officers stationed at the premises.
The petition, submitted at the commencement of plenary on Wednesday by Rita Orji, a lawmaker from Lagos state, was signed on behalf of the CSOs by Olayemi Success.
The CSOs urged the lawmakers to summon Idris and Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), to explain why the subsisting court orders were “flagrantly” disobeyed.
“It is a strange act that smacks of mischief for the attorney-general of the federation who is the chief law officer of Nigeria to advise the inspector-general of police to comply with judgements of court and he shows recalcitrance or reluctance to obey,” the petition read.
“We have it on authority that the incumbent attorney-general of the federation wrote to the IGP recently to obey the court judgements in favour of Peace Corps of Nigeria, but the IGP has refused to unseal the office.”
They urged the house to intervene in the matter and compel the IGP to obey standing judgements on the issue.
The petition was referred to the house committee on public petitions for consideration and further actions.
Nigerian peace corp is a force for good in dis country, its a legacy of Mr president, jus like obasanjo and oda past president has made history by making civil defence, Dss, frsc, etc their legacy. I dont understand police’s issue wit peace corp, dis is anoda avenue of improving d security of dis country using preventive and proactive measures of sensitising d youths in academic institutions and oda areas through conflict resolution, mediation and information gathering and hence reduce d burden on d police to react to crimes which wud be averted by peace corp activities. So its so sad and disappointing to see how d police is embarrassing dis country b4 d world by disobeying court orders which is a slap in d face of our judiciary who interprets d law enacted by our lawmakers, Is dis country now a police state where d police do as dey please without oversight? I tink Mr president shud sack the IGP for being a clog in d smooth sailing of our democracy by causing controversies time and time again and make history by signing peace corp in2 law and making it his legacy.
it is only in Nigeria that people think they’re above the law, God help us oh
Everything that have a beginning also have an end. Peace corp will stand police will give way. It is the people’s bill.