The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, and the Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Dr. Jafaru Alunua Momoh, have been accused of disobeying a court order directing the release of the bodies of Free-Zakzaky protesters killed by Nigerian Police on July 22, 2019, at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, according to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as “Shi’ites.”
The movement disclosed this at a press conference addressed by Halima Aliyu on behalf of the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement on Monday in Abuja.
The statement read ” We would like to inform the public that we have applied for an order for committal of Inspector General of Police to Correctional Centre for his refusal to obey the court judgement delivered on 29th June 2020,
”Form 49; Contempt of and disobedience to court order proceedings has been filed at the Federal High Court Abuja against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the National Hospital Abuja.
”Both the IGP and the CMD are expected to appear before Justice J. K. Omotosho of Court 7, Federal High Court, Maitama Abuja on Wednesday 5th October 2022.
”The content of Form 49, signed by the Registrar of the Federal High Court states in part, take note that the applicant applied for an order for your committal to Correctional Centre having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 29th June 2020.
” As written in the form and hearing notice served to the IGP and the CMD, the Court informed them that you are hereby required to attend Court on Wednesday 5th October 2022 by 9:00 am.
” The public may recall that on Monday, 22nd July 2019, police officers attacked a free-Zakzaky protest and opened fire on the protesters which led to the killing of 12 protesters, 1 unknown person, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and a Journalist with Channels TV.
” After the incident, the police evacuated corpses of the slain protesters, deposited 4 at National Hospital and 2 at Asokoro District Hospital and some of the protesters were able to take away 6 of those brutally killed instantly ”
She said they have it on reliable authority that the Police are shielding them to avoid being exposed as killers of the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the journalist,
According to Halima ” Consequently, due to the obstinate refusal of the police to release the corpses of our brothers, we instituted legal proceedings against both the Police and the Hospitals. Judgement on corpses at National Hospital, Abuja has been delivered and we are waiting for a judgement on corpses at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
” Unfortunately, despite a Federal High Court judgement delivered on 29th June 2020 in our favour, up to this moment, the police have continued to withhold the corpses.
” In his judgement, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja declared that the killing of free-Zakzaky protesters by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force on the 22nd of July, 2019 as illegal, unlawful, null and void and amount to gross violation of their fundamental rights to life as enshrined in section 33 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
” The Court also ordered the Inspector General of Police to pay the sum of N15,000,000 to the families of the slain protesters. Moreover, the Court ordered both the Inspector General of Police and the CMD, National Hospital Abuja, to release the corpses of the protesters.
” Their actions are quite unbecoming of public officers whose duties are to be discharged in line with extant laws and regulations of the land which include obedience to valid orders of courts of competent jurisdictions.
” Accordingly, our prayer is that the Federal High Court should declare both the Inspector General of Police the CMD, National Hospital Abuja guilty of contempt of court and sentenced both of them to imprisonment”
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria ( IMN ) otherwise known as ‘ Shi’ites ‘ has said that it has commenced the process of committal to prison of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba and Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Dr Jafaru Alunua Momoh over disobedience to a court order ordering the release of the corpses of Free-Zakzaky protesters killed by Nigeria Police on 22nd July 2019 at Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The movement explained that on 22nd July 2019, police officers attacked a free-Zakzaky protest and opened fire on the protesters which led to the killing of twelve protesters, one passerby, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and a Journalist with Channels TV.
The movement disclosed this at a press conference addressed by Halima Aliyu on behalf of the Academic Forum of the Islamic movement on Monday in Abuja.
Halima said that the police in the process evacuated the corpses of the slain protesters and deposited four at National Hospital and two at Asokoro District Hospital while six corpses were taken away by members of the group.
She said all efforts to retrieve the four and five corpses deposited at National Hospital and Asokoro District Hospital respectively proved abortive as a result of a conspiracy between the police and National hospital management.
The statement read ” We would like to inform the public that we have applied for an order for committal of Inspector General of Police to Correctional Centre for his refusal to obey the court judgement delivered on 29th June 2020,
”Form 49; Contempt of and disobedience to court order proceedings has been filed at the Federal High Court Abuja against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the National Hospital Abuja.
”Both the IGP and the CMD are expected to appear before Justice J. K. Omotosho of Court 7, Federal High Court, Maitama Abuja on Wednesday 5th October 2022.
”The content of Form 49, signed by the Registrar of the Federal High Court states in part, take note that the applicant applied for an order for your committal to Correctional Centre having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 29th June 2020.
” As written in the form and hearing notice served to the IGP and the CMD, the Court informed them that you are hereby required to attend Court on Wednesday 5th October 2022 by 9:00 am.
” The public may recall that on Monday, 22nd July 2019, police officers attacked a free-Zakzaky protest and opened fire on the protesters which led to the killing of 12 protesters, 1 unknown person, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and a Journalist with Channels TV.
” After the incident, the police evacuated corpses of the slain protesters, deposited 4 at National Hospital and 2 at Asokoro District Hospital and some of the protesters were able to take away 6 of those brutally killed instantly ”
According to Halima ” Consequently, due to the obstinate refusal of the police to release the corpses of our brothers, we instituted legal proceedings against both the Police and the Hospitals. Judgement on corpses at National Hospital, Abuja has been delivered and we are waiting for a judgement on corpses at Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja.
” Unfortunately, despite a Federal High Court judgement delivered on 29th June 2020 in our favour, up to this moment, the police have continued to withhold the corpses.
” In his judgement, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja declared that the killing of free-Zakzaky protesters by the agents of the Nigeria Police Force on the 22nd of July, 2019 as illegal, unlawful, null and void and amount to gross violation of their fundamental rights to life as enshrined in section 33 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
” The Court also ordered the Inspector General of Police to pay the sum of N15,000,000 to the families of the slain protesters. Moreover, the Court ordered both the Inspector General of Police and the CMD, National Hospital Abuja, to release the corpses of the protesters.
” Their actions are quite unbecoming of public officers whose duties are to be discharged in line with extant laws and regulations of the land which include obedience to valid orders of courts of competent jurisdictions.
” Accordingly, our prayer is that the Federal High Court should declare both the Inspector General of Police the CMD, National Hospital Abuja guilty of contempt of court and sentenced both of them to imprisonment”