A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, under the aegis of Dream Nigeria Movement and Youth Advocates for Peace Justice and Empowerment Network, YAPJEN, have called on the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Presidential Candidate, Mr. Adebayo Adewole, over his alleged unlawful imprisonment of police officers in his house in Abuja.
Spokesperson of Dream Nigeria Movement, Amb Timothy Nwachukwu, in a statement on Friday, alleged that Mr Adebayo locked up police officers on a mission to effect a bench warrant on him and maltreated them.
The group condemned the illegal detention and false imprisonment of police officers led by Assistant Superintendent of police Joseph Otanwa of Dawaki Police Station in Adedayo’s while carrying out a lawful order of a court of competent Jurisdiction.
“On the 1st of November 2022, The DPO of Dawaki Police Station gave a document (bench warrant) from the Legal section of the FCT Police Command to
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Asp ) Joseph Otanwa to effect the arrest of Mr Adebayo Adedayo, The SDP Presidential Candidate.
“On receiving the bench warrant issued by a court of competent Jurisdiction, ASP Joseph Otanwa mobilised some officers to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport where Mr. Adebayo Adewole had arrived.
“On approaching him, the police officers identified themselves and informed Mr. Adebayo Adewole that they have a bench warrant issued against him by a court of competent Jurisdiction for criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, threat to life, disobedience to constitution, threat to life over the parcel of land belonging to Kenuj Golf and Resort in Katampe extension FCT.
“Mr. Adebayo Adewole calmly obliged their request and further offered to drive them in his car to FCT command. However, while they were leaving for FCT command, He veered off the normal route and instructed his driver to take the officers to his house. On arriving his house, he instructed the security men in his house to lock up the officers who came to effect his arrest.
“He refused to yield to all entreaties by the officers to release them to return their station until it took the intervention of the DPO who was alerted on the development to come to the rescue of the officers,” the group said.
Dream Nigeria Movement noted that it is aware that the SDP presidential candidate is making frantic efforts to influence the withdrawal of the criminal case from the court again through some top police officers as he did previously before the matter was ordered back to the court by the IGP.
It further alleged that Adebayo seems to be above the order given by the DIG Force CID who had earlier directed the Nigeria Police Zone 7 to effect his arrest and bring him to court.
“We are calling on the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police to effect the arrest and continue the prosecution of Mr. Adebayo Adewole for the false imprisonment of the police officers to serve as a deterrent to those who believe that they are above the law in Nigeria as such characters pose a risk to the peace and security of our dear nation.
“We further call on the legal practitioners Disciplinary Committe of the Nigeria Bar Association to set up an investigation panel against Mr. Adewole Adebayo, a lawyer who knows the law as his action is a threat to rule of law and our democracy and contrary to the ethics of the Noble legal profession,”the group said.