Kemisola Oye
JUSTICE Mohammed Jibril of an Upper Area Court sitting in Mararaba, Gurku, Nasarawa State has ordered the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Area 10, Garki and two bank Managing Directors to appear before it or face committal proceedings.
The affected banks are Standard Chartered Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc.
The order was sequel to an alleged order obtained by the Police from a magistrate court in the state authorising the freezing of an account of a customer in the two banks in Lagos State.
Justice Jibril ordered the defendants to appear before the court over an order sought to be vacated and to explain who executed the order.
The court had earlier granted an order to the Police in two different suits delineated UAC/KAR/20/2023 and UAC/KAR/21/2023 they filed against Access Bank Plc and Osareme Vera Archibong as first and second respondents, respectively.
While in the second suit, the police had gotten an order of the court against the bank, the Manager of Standard Chartered Bank Plc and
Osareme Vera Archibong as respondent/ applicant in the suit.
However, following an order obtained by the Police, the second respondent/applicant (Archibong) in the suit, through her counsel, Mr. Emeka Ozoani (SAN), approached the court to vacate the order.
After his arguments and submissions before the court, the judge ordered the applicant (the DIGP) to appear before the court, noting that he found it difficult to set the ruling aside.
In his ruling, the court said he has listened to the learned silk, Emeka Ozoani (SAN) and Grace Agbal, for the 2nd respondent/applicant, and have the cause to peruse through the criminal and civil complaint books and the record of the court but found it extremely difficult to lay hands on the order that sought to be set aside.
“I shall order the applicant/respondent in the order sought to be vacated who is the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Area 10, Garki Abuja, the first respondent; Standard Chartered Bank Plc and the Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Plc who executed the order to produce before me the order sought to be vacated and I so hold”.
The court further said that he will issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the DIGP, Force CID, Area 10, Garki Abuja to compel his appearance.
The judge also ordered Access Bank Plc and its Managing Director, who executed the order, to produce the order sought to be vacated.
“I shall, in furtherance to this, issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Plc to compel his appearance before me and I so hold.”
The judge subsequently adjourned hearing of the case to 14th March 2023.