Court orders arrest of army chief — 3rd high-profile contempt ruling in weeks

A high court sitting in Minna, Niger state, has issued a warrant of arrest for Faruk Yahaya, chief of army staff (COAS), for contempt.

A warrant of arrest was also issued against Olugbenga Olabanji, commandant of the training and doctrine command, Minna, over the same offence.

The order was issued in respect of a suit marked NSHC/225/2019.

The suit is between Adamu Makama and 42 others versus the executive governor of Niger state and seven others.

The motion for the issuance of the warrants was moved by Mohammed Liman, counsel to the plaintiffs/applicants.

Liman had prayed the court to send the army chief and commandant to the correctional centre for disobeying an order made on October 12, 2022.

Ruling on the application, Halima Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, said: “An order is made committing the Nigerian army chief of staff general Farouk Yahaya and the commander training and doctrine command (TRADOC) Minna i.e 6th &7th respondents into the custody of the correctional centre for contempt of the order of this honourable court made on the 12/10/2022.”

The judge added that “they shall remain in the custody of the correctional centre until they purge themselves of the contempt”.

The case has been adjourned to December 8 for continuation.

On Tuesday, a federal high court in Abuja sentenced Usman Baba, the inspector-general of police, to three months in prison for disobeying a court order.

Mobolaji Olajuwon, the presiding judge, issued the ruling on Tuesday, following a suit filed by Patrick Okoli, a former police officer who claims he was unlawfully and compulsorily retired from the Nigerian police force.

Similarly, TheCable had reported how an FCT high court ordered the remand of Abdulrasheed Bawa, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for contempt.

However, the order was later set aside.