A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers has issued a bench warrant on an officer attached to the Nigerian Navy Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Com. Sam Bora.
The court accused Bora of failing to appear before it and refusing to release an arrested suspect.
Justice Hilary Oshoma, who issued the warrant, also ordered that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and his men should arrest and bring him to the court on December 3, 2020 to show course why he should not be disciplined.
The lawyer to the plaintiff, Christian Woke, said trouble started when Naval operatives arrested his client, Ledumbari Nafiri on August 2.
Woke added the Navy also denied his client access to his lawyer and defied a valid court order to release him.
He said, “My client was wrongly arrested in a commando style, when the Naval officers invaded his house, carted away his properties and held him incommunicado. It was only after we approached the court and in the wisdom of the court ordered that he should have access to him.
“When the court finally ordered that he (Nafiri) be released, immediately the said order was served on Mr Sam J. Bora, the Commanding Officer of Navy Pathfinder, Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt, refused to obey the court’s order and rather transferred our client to Abuja, the same order was served to the Abuja Naval office and they still refused to release him.”
Woke, hailed the decision of the court explaining that the bench warrant was issued against the senior Naval officer in the state because he failed to honour the court’s summons thrice.
“For three times the court summoned him to appear before it, but he refused to appear, unfortunately for him, the court has to invoke its volatile power against him.
“The court ordered that a beach warrant should be issued against him and that the Inspector General of Police and his officers should arrest him and bring him before the court on the 3rd of December.
“We are very glad with the decision of the court, nobody is above the law, court orders must be obeyed no matter how you feel about it.
“We also pray that the Inspector General of police and his officers will implement the said order and effect the arrest of Sam J. Bora.”
Though the Navy had yet to make official statement on the warrant of arrest, a senior naval officer, said they were in shock over the bench warrant.
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