Legal Updates

Abuja Traders Association Petitions the IGP.

Published

1 year ago

April 30, 2023

Stella Charles Akupue

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Chukwuma-Machukwu-Ume, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, demanding that he immediately take measures to prosecute over 30 persons impersonating officers of the Nigerian Police and those who aided them (Urban Shelter Ltd) for harassing and detaining leaders of Abuja Traders Association.

The Petitioner also demanded the IGP ensure that the officers of the Traders Association are no longer harassed.

Mr Machukwu-Ume, who is Counsel to the Plaintiffs, explained that despite the pendency of the Suit before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, the police sued as the 6th Defendant, has continued to be used to harass his clients.

On the 12th of October, 2the traders had 021, instituted the Suit as mentioned earlier and the Court, in December 2021, ordered all parties to maintain the status quo.

The defendants in the Suit are the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Federal Capital Development Authority and 5 others.

The traders said Urban Shelter Ltd (5th Defendant) had defied, disdained, discarded, disobeyed the order, and openly engaged in the massive erection of structures at the parking lots of the Area 7 shopping complex, Garki Abuja.

Abuja Traders Association Petitions the IGP.

The traders said while the Suit was still pending, Urban Shelter, in utter disrespect to the Court, dragged the leaders of the Plaintiffs to the State Security Service to arm-twist the Plaintiffs to back out from prosecuting the Suit.

Not minding the pendency of the Suit, the 5th Defendant got Abuja Metropolitan Management Council to mark the Area 7 Shopping Complex and all the structures in the vicinity for demolition.

The traders alleged that on the 4th of April this year, about 30 armed thugs dressed in fake Nigerian Police uniforms with badges and masks to conceal their identities.

The said police officers, Machukwu Ume wrote, arrived at the UTC Area 7 Shopping Complex at about 5 a.m. and gave fake police protection to the illegal demolition team organized by Urban Shelter Ltd in its effort to demolish the Complex.

The petitioners said it was wrong for the Nigerian Police to lend itself as a tool for disobedience of court orders and manipulation by selfish persons, contrary to the Criminal Code law.