Justice Halima Abdulmalik of the High Court Sitting in Minna, the Niger State, capital, on Wednesday, issued a warrant of arrest on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Faruk Yahaya for contempt.
The judge also ordered that the Commandant, Training and Doctrine Command, Minna, Major General Olugbenga Olabanji should be arrested for the same offence.
According to the presiding judge, Abdulmalik, the order was sequel to the hearing on motion on notice brought before the court in pursuant of order 42 rule 10; of the Niger State High Court Civil procedure 2018.
Justice Abdulmalik presided that the order is commuting Yahaya and Olabanji to be kept in Minna Correctional custody for contentions of order of the court on 12 October, 2022.
According to her, the two defendants were to remain in prison custody until they purge themselves of the contempt.
Justice Abdulmalik thereafter, adjourned the case till December 8, for continuation of trial.
This is coming few days after another court, presided over by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja sentenced the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali to three months imprisonment for disobeying a court order.
Justice Olajuwon, giving the sentence on the IGP, issued the order following a suit filed by a former police officer, Patrick Okoli, who approached the Court for unlawful compulsorily retirement from the Nigeria Police Force.
Few weeks ago, Justice Chizoba Oji of a High Court Abuja convicted the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, for contempt and ordered that he should be committed to prison at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
According to the judge, Bawa was convicted for contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the commission to return to an applicant, his Range Rover and the sum of N40 million.
But in a subsequent ruling, Justice Oji
quashed Bawa’s conviction after hearing an application brought by the EFCC chairman.
