Justice Gabriel Kolawole of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, not to arrest the minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the event that the National Assembly orders for her arrest over the scheduled probe of the minister and the NNPC that is to commence today.
The court gave the order on Wednesday in a suit instituted by the petroleum minister and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (plaintiffs in the matter) through their counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), seeking to stop the National Assembly, the defendant, from directly investigating her and the NNPC.
Justice Kolawole held: “In line with order 56 Rule 1 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rule, 2009, I direct the applicant to ensure that a certified true copy of the enrolment of this ruling be served on the Inspector General of Police. Being a creation of the constitution, he will not unleash his machinery in aid of the National Assembly in defiance of court proceedings and contravene the constitution.
“The IGP shall not accede to any legislative order to direct the arrest of the plaintiffs (Diezani and the NNPC.”
The case was adjourned to July 9 for argument on the motion on notice for the interlocutory injunction.
The minister filed the fresh application for an interim injunction to restrain the House of Representatives from going ahead with the probe of the allegation that she spent N10bn on a chartered aircraft.
