Court orders arrest of 5 commissioners, directors in Imo

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8 years ago

A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State, has ordered the arrest of five state government officials for contempt of court.

The affected officials are Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mrs Josephine Udoji; Commissioner for Lands, Survey, and Urban Planning, Mr Lawrence Eburuoh and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Dr Chibuzor Iwuagwu.

Others are the Director of Works, Ministry of Works, Mr C. E. Egbuka and the Director of Works, Government House, Owerri, Mr Emeka Duru.

Justice Lewis Alagoa, presiding over the civil suit number FHC/OW/133/2016 filed by a former interior minister, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, against the state government, gave the order on Monday, due to the absence of all the defendants in court.

Alagoa ordered the Inspector-General of Police and his men to arrest the officials wherever they were sighted across the country.

The court had, during its sitting on November 14, 2016, summoned all the defendants to appear before it on December 8, 2016, but none of them showed up.

Counsel for the defendants, Mrs J. C. Ibe, told the court that the respondents had filed an appeal against the earlier order of the court.

Ibe said that notices of the appeal and stay of proceeding, notice of preliminary objection and affidavit contesting the contempt order against the respondents had been served on the claimant.

However, counsel for the plaintiff, Chief Ken Njemanze, said his client was not aware of any appeal by the respondents as claimed by their counsel.

Njemanze said they looked up to the court on the earlier order made against the respondents, adding that their attitude amounted to total disrespect of court.

“What is discouraging to us in this suit, My Lord, is the intentional act of frustrating progress in the suit by the defendants,” the counsel said.

Alagoa, hearing the arguments of the counsel, made the subsequent order and fixed May 2 for continuation of the matter.

Iheanacho had gone to court over the demolition of part of his property on Orlu Road in Owerri Urban by construction workers engaged for road expansion by the state government.