Continuous occupation on Rivers LGAs: Court orders CP, IGP to appear before it

Olatunji Disu, the state’s commissioner of police, and Kayode Ebetokun, the inspector general of police, have been summoned before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to provide an explanation for the police’s ongoing occupation of the state’s twenty-three local government areas.

In a lawsuit brought by the Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, a non-governmental organization, the court ordered the group to serve notice on the Attorney General of the Federation, the CP, and the IGP through an experte application.

In addition, the Court requested that the NGO and RUFUS JOSHUA notify the State Governor and Head of State Service, Siminialayi Fubara, who make up the second group of defendants in the experte case.

The group had approached the Court over the police continuous occupation of the 23 local government area councils in the state.

However, the Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Turaki, who gave the directives said the notice to the defendants to appear before the court is to explain why the experte order should not be issued against them over the continuous barricade of local government council Secretariat in the state.

Turaki, who had earlier granted application for summon to hear the suit on vacation, thereafter adjourned till 16th of August, 2024 to hear the motion on notice.

Meanwhile, speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, the applicant’s counsel, Solomon Tamuno said his clients are in court to restrain the Nigerian police from their continuous barricade of the council Secretariat.

Tamuno said the occupation of the LGA secretariats has hindered Rivers indigenes from applying for employment opportunity released by the state government.