Justice Olugbenga Ogunfowora of Ogun State High Court,has ordered the arrest and detention of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone II and one Superintendent Tijani Taofiq for disobeying the order of the court.
He delivered the verdict in a suit involving a Chinese national, Chen Zheng, who is the interpreter and Sales Manager of Hand in Hand Industry Nigeria Limited.
The police chiefs had allegedly disobeyed the court order to pay N500,000 as damages and also pay N50,000 in favour of the Chinese national who was arrested and detained for alleged criminal offence and later held his international passport.
He ordered the release of the applicant’s international passport with No.EB4555829 since June 9th, 2020.
He also ordered that the top officers be detained at the Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta until the property of the Chinese is returned to him.
According to him,the refusal to release the passport and also pay the fine as ordered by the court was a contempt which is punishable under the nation’s constitution.
The Force Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi said he was not aware of the case and advised that the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Hauwa Idris Adamu, should be contacted for reaction.
Adamu also said she will find out about the case and liaise with Ogun State Commissioner of Police on same.She kept silent on the ordered arrest of the AIG .
The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the police officer was no more in Ogun State and had been redeployed back to Lagos.
“He was once in Lagos before he was transferred to Ogun State, but as I speak with you, Supo Tijani has been redeployed back to Lagos, he’s no more in Ogun State, you can contact the zonal PPRO,” he said.
Counsel to the applicant, Seun Akinbiyi, SAN, commended the court for its landmark judgement,adding that the development verdict will make Nigerians believe in the country’s judicial system .
“The summary of the antecedent is that, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 as well as on Superintendent of Police, Tijani Taofiq, who is now in Eleweran, Abeokuta have been convicted to prison by virtue of the order of the court because they did not carry out the order of the court.
“It is very significant that this is being done for the courage of the court, his lordship, and it is good for the sanctity of the court. We are very happy for that.It is also important for the sake of our client whose international passport has been detained for almost 3 years. At least, I believe that with that alone, the court has decided that they are imprisoned until the international passport is released.”
He added that his chamber will ensure the execution of the verdict.
He said:”By the grace of God, we are going to see it that the order is carried out. That is, the imprisonment of the AIG and the Superintendent. We will see it to the end.”