NEWS
BIZARRE: IGP Orders Re-Arrest Of Erisco Customer Over Product Review, Despite Restraining Court Order
Nigeria’s drift towards anarchy has again manifested with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said to have ordered the re-arrest of the lady who reviewed Erisco Foods Limited’s product on her Facebook page, Chioma Edoka Okoli.
Biztellers reports that Okoli was arrested and detained in September 2023 over her review of a tomato product manufactured by Erisco.
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who took to his verified X handle on Tuesday to lament over what he described “as the agony of almost every lawyer in Nigeria,” expressed concern that the IGP should overrule a court of competent jurisdiction.
He wrote, “I don’t know how judges feel when they see their judgements disobeyed.”
It was gathered that some Policemen, at the orders of the IGP, invaded Okoli’s house in Sangotedo area of Lagos State, over the Erisco product matter, in spite of a court restraining the Police from arresting her.
Biztellers reports that the team of policemen from Abuja who claimed to be acting on the orders of the IGP moved to re-arrest Okoli without serving any court order authorising them to do so.
Counsel to Okoli, Effiong, asserted that the police team from Abuja also got the backing of Policemen from the Ajiwe Police Station in Ajah.
In the tweet, to which he attached the subsisting court orders restraining the Police, Effiong wrote, “The initial team that arrived at her residence called for a reinforcement after we demanded to see the court order authorising them to rearrest her.
“They are currently trying to break into her house where she lives with her baby.
“This latest attack on Chioma is in connection with the ongoing case between my client and the police on the instigation of Erisco Foods Limited and its founder, Chief Eric Umeofia.
“The police had secretly filed a “charge” against Chioma at the Federal High Court in Abuja instead of Lagos where the case arose.
“The charge is pending before Hon. Justice A. R Mohammed. I later got wind of their plot after a tip-off.
“When the case filed by the police in Abuja came up on 7th December 2023, the police counsel informed the court that they were unable to serve my client with the charge (this is not accurate as no attempt was made in this regard).
“The police counsel then applied for an adjournment for them to file a motion to enable them serve my client with the charge through substituted means.
“Justice Mohammed granted the application and adjourned the case to Wednesday, 10th January, 2024 for hearing of the motion.
“We are astonished that the police would turn around today to invade the residence of my client and harass her and her baby without recourse to the court where the charge is currently pending.
“My client has not been served with any charge, summons or arraignment notice as required by law. The case before the court and is coming up tomorrow, 10th January, 2024 for the hearing of the motion the police said they would file to secure a court order to serve my client with their “charge” and accompanying documents.
“The team leader told me over the phone that he is a DSP, and that he has four ASPs with him and other police officers. He also told me that the PSO to the IGP spoke with him directly and that he cannot disobey the order of the IGP despite the court order barring the police from re-arresting my client.
“How can the IGP issue a directive to overrule the subsisting order of a court of competent jurisdiction? Is this how we want to develop our country?
“Attached is a subsisting order of the Federal High Court in Lagos made on the 8th day of November, 2023 by Hon. Justice Bogoro in the fundamental rights suit we filed restraining the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force from arresting, rearresting or detaining my client; except on the express order of a court of competent jurisdiction if she is served with a summons or arraignment notice and she fails to appear in it.
“We emphasise again that no charge, summons or arraignment notice has been served on Chioma. The police has not appealed against the restraining order and the order has not been vacated.
“It is a sad commentary that the Nigeria Police is beginning the year on a note of lawlessness. I condemn this reckless act of impunity. I call on the IGP to abide by the rule of law and direct his officers to allow the court to handle the case in line with due process.
“My client is presumed innocent of any charge filed against her by virtue of Section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution. This is an action that can only be tolerated in a banana republic.”
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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