Court restrains IGP from arresting, harassing APC ward officers behind Ganduje’s suspension

A Kano high court has granted an exparte order restraining the Inspector General of Police IGP; Assistant Inspector General, AIG zone 1 Kano; Commissioner of Police, Kano from inviting, arresting, and harassing the All Progressives Congress (APC) ward officers at Ganduje ward, Dawakin-Tofa local government area of Kano state.

In a consolidated order granted by Justice Yusuf Ubale Muhammad on 2nd May, 2024, the court also restricted any attempt by APC National Working Committee (NWC), State council of the party and APC acting National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from using the security operatives to arrest or detain the Ganduje ward executives, pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice.

The exparte motion jointly filed by the Jafar Adamu and 10 others and Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani Barguma led factional ward officers, through their counsel Shamsu Ubale Jibrin Esq is seeking the protection of their fundamental human right as guaranteed by the constitution.

In the consolidated motion exparte dated 29th April, 2024, the two affidavits first, sworn to by the applicant (Jafar Adamu) suit no. K/M759/2024 and second suit no. K/M758/2024 sworn by applicants Haladu Gwanjo and Laminu Sani Barguma).

The applicants are challenging the IGP, AIG zone 1 Kano, Commissioner of Police Kano, APC, APC NWC, Kano APC State Council and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

“And after hearing Shamsu Ubale Jibrin Esq. of counsel for the two set of applicants today 2nd of May, 2024, it is hereby ordered as follows.

” An interim order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the respondents in the two consolidated suits, their officers, agents, privies, or any other officer serving under them from inviting, arresting, harassing or detaining the applicants in respect of the subject matter of the suit, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed.

” It is further ordered that interim order for the motion on notice and all other processes in this suits shall be served on all the respondents, timeously and before the next adjourned date. The case adjourned to 5th June, 2024, for hearing of the motion on notice “.

Recall that the two factions of Ganduje ward had suspended the membership of their kinsman and national chairman of their party Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for alleged involvement in misappropriation of public funds and other criminal issues during his tenure as Governor of Kano.

Although, the factional ward officers had dragged APC, APC NWC, Kano SWC, and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje before Justice Usman Na’abba of the state high court to affirm the suspension of Ganduje from the party, it was gather that security operatives have launched a manhunt to arrest the ward officers.

The security search came after the state Chairman of the party Prince Abdullahi Abbas directed the security agencies including the police and men of the Department of State Security DSS to arrest and detain them.