A Minna, Niger State High Court on Wednesday, ordered the arrest of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Faruk Yahaya, for contempt.
A warrant of arrest was also issued against Major General Olugbenga Olabanji, commandant of the training and doctrine command, Minna, over the same offence.
The order was issued in respect of a suit marked NSHC/225/2019, between Adamu Makama and 42 others versus the executive governor of Niger State and seven others.
The motion for the issuance of the warrants was moved by Mohammed Liman, counsel to the plaintiffs/applicants, who had prayed the court to send the Army Chief and Commandant to prison for disobeying an order made in October.
However, Justice Halima Abdulmalik, who presided over the case, said the order followed notice brought before the court in pursuant of order 42 rule 10 of the Niger State High Court Civil Procedure 2018.
“An order is made committing the Nigerian army chief of staff general Farouk Yahaya and the commander training and doctrine command (TRADOC) Minna i.e 6th &7th respondents into the custody of the correctional centre for contempt of the order of this honourable court made on the 12/10/2022. They shall remain in the custody of the correctional centre until they purge themselves of the contempt.”
The judge added that “they shall remain in the custody of the correctional centre until they purge themselves of the contempt”.
The case has been adjourned to December 8 for continuation.
This is not the first time that a competent court would be ordering the arrest of a security agency’s head.
A Federal High Court in Abuja earlier sentenced the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.
Baba’s contempt ruling preceded that of Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
