The arrest of Mr. Faruk Adejoh-Audu, the Kogi State spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), by Commissioner of Police Bethrand Unuoha has been halted by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Director of DSS for Kogi State are also subject to the high court’s order of restraint.
Adejoh-Audu filed a motion for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, claiming the defendants were seriously threatening his life. The restraining order against the security agents will remain in effect until the motion’s final decision.
Adejoh-Audu, a veteran journalist, activist and politician, had gone to court after altercations between him and Unuoha on election matters, after which the latter publicly threatened the spokesman to expect some unstated consequences.
The SDP Spokesperson had, on November 29, 2023, accused the police chief of collaborating with thugs to attack the interests of his party in the recently conducted governorship election in Kogi.
However, the police commissioner held a press conference the next day in Lokoja and gave Adejoh-Audu a 24-hour ultimatum to substantiate his allegations or “be ready to face the consequences of his actions.”
The SDP spokesperson had responded in a 17-paragraph document justifying his allegations.
After hearing an ex-parte application from O. U. Salifu, the SDP spokesman’s attorney, the FCT High Court presided over by Justice Hamza Muazu granted an order prohibiting the applicant’s arrest or interference with the freedom of the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, and the State Director of DSS.
The court has adjourned the matter to December 18, 2023, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
