It appears that the Judiciary is fed up with executive lawlessness, which has seen some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) flout court orders.

The National Industrial Court (NIC) might be leading in instituting the rule of law, as it moved on Wednesday to make an example of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and some of his executives, at the FCTA.

It was gathered that the NIC, Abuja has begun contempt proceedings against Wike, and others over what it termed ‘disregard of series of court orders’.

One of the reasons Wike would be standing trial is Managing Director/CEO, Abuja Markets Management Limited (AMML), Faruk Abubakar tenure.

One of the instances which incurred the irk of the NIC was Wike’s inclusion of Abubakar in the list of heads of agencies dissolved on September 27, 2023.

Recall that Wike had, on September 27, 2023 through a statement, relieved the heads of 21 parastatals, agencies and government companies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of their appointments with immediate effect, including AMML.

The contempt charge, filed by Abubakar also joined the FCTA, AMML and the Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL) as 2nd to 4th defendants respectively, including the former acting managing director of the AMML, Engr. Yakubu Abbas.

In the Form 48 marked: NICN/ABJ/62/2023, which was dated and filed on November 3, 2023, the application was titled: “Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court.”

The application was brought pursuant to Section 72 Sheriff and Civil Process Act, 2004; Order IX Rules 1-3 of the Judgment Enforcement Rules and Under the inherent jurisdiction of court.

The application reads, “Take notice that unless you (the defendants) obey the orders and directions contained in the judgment of court on July 20 and the order of this Honourable Court made on July 26, you will be guilty of the contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

It was gathered that that Abubakar’s counsel, Faruk Khamagam, had, following the dissolution, formally apprised Wike on September 28, 2023 about the peculiar situations that surrounded the agency’s headship and the legal tussle that preceded his appointment as minister.

Khamagam, in the letter, informed Wike of series of court judgments that affirmed Abubakar’s status as substantive managing director of the AMML.

The contempt proceeding would be standing on the allegation that Wike and others had been acting in disobedience to the orders of the industrial court made on July 20, restraining them from giving effect to the purported letter of termination of the employment of Abubakar as the managing director or the AMML.

Justice R. B. Haastrup had restrained the defendants from giving effect to the termination of the employment of Abubakar as the managing director of the AMML, which order was contained in a letter dated July 17, 2023, until the hearing and determination of the counterpart motion on notice.

The judge also ordered the defendants not to, in any way, interfere in the management, business and corporate affairs of the AMML and that status quo ante be maintained until the counterpart motion on notice was heard and determined.

In the same vein, Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, had, on July 10, 2023 in a judgment, restrained the FCT Minister, the FCTA and others in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/499/2023 from dissolving and reconstituting the Board of the AMML by political fiat or press statement, without first following the procedure of CAMA, 2020.

According to the court, doing so would be ultra vires the powers of the FCT Minister and the FCTA.

The court had also affirmed Abubakar as the managing director of the AMML.

Khamagam, who said the AICL and FCTA had continued to insist on the termination of Abubakar’s employment as contained in their July 17, 2023 letter, also averred that Abbas had been parading himself as the acting managing director of the AMML in contravention of valid court orders and judgment.

He said, “Engr. Yakubu Abbas himself, has been parading himself as the acting MD of AMML and has been signing and issuing documents in that capacity, in the name of AMML from unknown locations.”

On his part, Legal Adviser and Secretary, AMML, Felix Edache, alleged that on Monday, the policemen stormed the AMML’s head office in Gudu on the order of the FCT commissioner of Police.

According to Edache, the officers were led by DSP Bello Adamu, who disclosed that they were deployed to maintain peace and workers’ safety.

“When I resumed, I saw a flood of armed policemen all over the premises.

“Upon getting to the office, I was told that they had come to ensure safety of the place but I told them that I am not aware that AMML made any complaint to the police to that effect.

“In fact if there should be any of such complaint, it should have come from me,” he said.

He was rattled, however, when later in the evening the same policemen tendered a memo from the FCTA signed by the General Counsel, Salman Dako, purportedly written on behalf of the FCT Minister asking the CP to prevent the MD, Abubakar, and the Legal Adviser from gaining entrance into the office.

He continued, “Although, the memo by Dako cited the termination of Abubakar’s employment as the eason for the request, it did not say why the police is being asked to prevent me from entering the office.

“We are law abiding citizens. We will never do anything to subvert the law.

“However, any attempt to trample our right would be resisted with every legal tool.

“It is time for the Minister to reassess his legal team at the ministry so that they don’t end up misleading him into running foul of the law which he also swore to protect as both lawyer and public servant.

“I am hopeful that the minister will act accordingly.”