Court stops probe of Wada, Idris’ administrations

A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja, on Tuesday, stopped the Judicial Commission of Inquiry instituted by the state government to probe the past administrations in the state from further sitting.

The court asked the parties to maintain status quo, pending the determination of the motion seeking injunction to restrain the commission from probing the governments of former governors Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada.

Wada had filed an application for injunction alongside the originating summons to restrain the judicial commission of inquiry from further sitting pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Justice Henry Olusuyi, while ruling on an application for adjournment brought by the Attorney-General of the state, Mohammed Ibrahim, who announced his appearance for Governor Yahaya Bello, said the parties should go back to the situation before the commencement of hostilities.

At the resumption of the hearing of the suit filed by Wada challenging the constitution of the probe panel by Bello, his counsel prayed the court for more time to allow him study the brief.

He appealed to the court for a short adjournment to enable him to file his reply and counter affidavit to the application by the plaintiff.

Counsel to the former governor, Chief Chris Uche, however, objected to the application, arguing that he was out of time to make such pleadings.

He said on the face of the papers filed and served on the respondents, it was clearly stated that the motion for injunction would be taken on Tuesday.

Olusuyi granted the prayer of the counsellor for the governor and adjourned sitting till December 15, 2016 to enable the respondents to file their papers and prevent them from being shut out.

He, however, ordered the parties to the suit to maintain status quo as far as the matter was concerned.