Peace Corps asks court to jail IGP

The Peace Corps of Nigeria has asked the federal high court, Abuja, to jail Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, for alleged disregard of court orders.

 

The corps made the plea in Form 48 on contempt of court filed before the court on Wednesday.

It accused the police of allegedly refusing to vacate the headquarters of the organisation which it sealed since February 28.

Gabriel Kolawole, a judge of the court, had on November 9 ordered the police to unseal the corps’ headquarters located in Abuja.

He had also ordered the police to pay the corps N12.5 million as damages for infringing on its rights of ownership of property and freedom of movement.

Addressing journalists at the court, Dickson Akoh, Peace Corps commandant, said his organisation has been “pushed to the wall” to institute the contempt charge against the police chief.

“The organisation has secured seven different judgments from different courts, all barring the police from arresting detaining, harassing or intimidating our officers in the course of their lawful duties,’’ he said.

Akoh said his officers would not take laws into their hands but would continue to approach the court for intervention.

The police and the corps have been on a running battle for months.

According to the police, “terrorist affiliates” infiltrated the corps to destroy the existing peace in the country.

Akoh has repeatedly denied the claim.