A high court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had issued a garnishee order against the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), ordering the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to attach the money belonging to the Nigerian police for the purpose of settlement of judgment debt incurred by the police in a judgment against the force.
The garnishee order issued by the court directed the apex bank to remove a sum of N11,270,000 from police account, with the number 0020054161043, maintained at the CBN to pay the Incorporated Trustees of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) and its National Commandant, Ambassador Dickson Akoh, who secured the judgment against the police.
The judgment sum of N11.2 million was awarded in favour of the Peace Corps and four of its officers, who are the judgment creditors, by the FCT High Court in a judgment delivered against the police on March 26, 2014.
The fine of N11.2 million imposed on the police, according to the judgement, was to be paid to the arrested and detained Peace Corps officers as compensation for the unjust, unlawful and unconstitutional police action against them.
The judgment declared that the detention of the officers of the Peace Corps at the Force Criminal Investigation Department at Garki and Apo Legislative Quarters police station for a total of 29 days was unlawful and unconstitutional.
The court further declared that the directives, instructions, signals and orders issued to all police zones, officers and agents by the police to ban and disrupt the activities of the Peace Corps were unlawful and unconstitutional.
A restraining order was also issued by the court against the police from disrupting the lawful activities of the PCN and also banned the police from further arresting or detaining the Peace Corps officials.
The court had in the judgment held that Peace Corps was a bona-fide legal association duly authorised by law to carry out its functions with the aim of realising its aims and objectives and that the seizure of its properties by police was also unlawful and unconstitutional.
It was gathered that since the judgment was delivered in 2014, the National Commandant of the Corps, Ambassador Akoh has been prevailing on lawyers not to enforce the judgment in the interest of cordial relationship among the Corps, police and other security agencies.
However, in view of the continued antagonism, harassment, arrest, detention and intimidation of officers and men of the Corps, the board of Trustees of Peace Corps of Nigeria resolved to enforce all the existing judgments against police.
Justice Sylvanus Chinedu Oriji issued the garnishee order upon an ex-parte motion argued on behalf of the Corps by its counsel, Joseph Chukwuma.
In an enrollment of court order dated March 17, 2017, and signed by the judge and the court Senior Registrar, Mr Akpabio Micheal Brown, the garnishee order was issued with a view to satisfying the judgment debt awarded against police and in favour of the creditors, Mr Shuaib, Mr Peter Ojoma and Miss Joy Obakachi.
Meanwhile, the custodian of the garnishee, the CBN has been directed to appear before the court on Wednesday, May 24 to show cause why the garnishee order shall not be made absolute.
The judgment debtors, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), are also to appear before the court on May 24 for the same purpose.
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