The Police Service Commission (PSC) has been urged to set up a disciplinary panel to investigate the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, and his counterpart in the Administration Section, Alonge, for allegedly disrespecting a court judgment.
The request by a lawyer, Bamidele Ogundele, was contained in a petition dated August 15, 2022, on behalf of his client and a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Mr. Walter Okeke.
Okeke urged the PSC to impress it on the affected police officers to respect the rule of law and stay off civil matters in the interest of justice.
Other police officers listed for disciplinary action by the Port Harcourt based businessman include CSP Gladys Enoho Imegu, Eniyepere Sikpi and Godday Amadi.
Ogundele also listed ACP Alex O. Ebbah, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Administration) Force CID, Abuja for allegedly instigating the arrest and prosecution of Okeke unjustly.
The officers were alleged to have been involved in a charge sheet presented and acted upon by Chief Magistrate A.O. Amadi-Nna of Chief Magistrate GD 1 Court Port Harcourt on May 27, 2022.
Ogundele said the action of the Police was against the judgment by Justice T.S Oji of the High Court, Port Harcourt Division which was delivered in Suit No PHC/202/CS/2022 against the Police and Respondents Judgment Debtor, Mr. Paul Ifeanyi Amaonye which he said forbade the Police from harassing his client.
According to him, the bailiff of the court legally applied for the execution of the judgment by requesting for the security protection.
He claimed that CP Eboka made efforts to frustrate the execution of the judgment through the office of the OC Legal, CSP. Gladys Enoho Imegu.
He said that the execution of the judgment was later carried out with all the conditions stated in the Writ of Execution dated April 27, 2022 ,adding that all the goods/chattels removed by the bailiffs of the court were listed via Auction Notice for sale at Plot 230 Iyowune Street, Trans Amadi Industrial Layout off Peter Odili Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, a company named SACEN Projects Limited successfully bought all goods on May 23, 2022.
Mr. Ogundele and his client, however, expressed surprise that contrary to the court judgment delivered by Justice T.S Oji of Rivers State High Court, officers from the Police Command arrested Okeke for stealing some goods that constituted the object of auction by the court bailiff and charged him to a Magistrate Court in charge No PMC/ 884C/2022 and was remanded in a correctional centre in the absence of his lawyer and family.
“On May 31, 2022, Mr. Okeke got a reprieve as justice Chinelo Odili in suit no. PHC/1705/FHR/2022 released him on bail and scolded the Rivers State Police Command for it’s involvement on a purely civil matter.
He, however, expressed surprise that the same officers were deviant as the office of the deputy Inspector General of Police, Force CID, Abuja was dragged into the matter, by making allegation of stealing of pipes emanating from the execution of the court judgment.
The petitioner said the matter was later dismissed by late DIG Egbunike who concluded after a discreet investigation that the matter is purely civil and that due process was carried out in the execution of the judgment.
Ogundele said he was surprised that the Commissioner of Police (Administration) raised another police wireless message to the office of Commissioner of Police contradicting the earlier wireless message and reprobating the existing and earlier wireless message where it was held that the case is a civil matter.
According to him, “on August 11,2022, the Commissioner of Police (Administration) Mr. Alonge, mobilised two rank and files to Port Harcourt, one Inspector Nuhu David with telephone number 07061848819 and another inspector allegedly went to the office of Okeke to evacuate goods/chattels already sold through auction, but we’re resisted by Mr.Okeke and the new buyer, Sacen Projects Limited.”
Ogundele claimed that till date, his client was still being subjected to undue harassment and intimidation.
