ALGON Reports ICPC Chairman To LPPC Over Alleged Court Order Violation In N400m Drug Fraud Case
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kano State chapter, has filed a petition against the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barrister Musa Aliyu, SAN, accusing him of violating court orders. The petition was submitted to the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).
In the petition, ALGON alleges that ICPC operatives unlawfully raided the residence of the interim caretaker of Rimin-Gado Local Government Area, arresting and detaining him despite a subsisting court order that prohibited such actions.
According to a statement signed by Barrister Shamsi Ubale Jibril and shared with journalists, the Kano State High Court had issued an ex-parte order on August 27, 2024, restraining the ICPC and other respondents from harassing, arresting, or detaining ALGON members involved in the case. Despite being served with the court order, the ICPC allegedly continued to disregard it.
The petition states, “Despite the service of the court order on the ICPC, led by Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, the commission has continued to harass and intimidate our clients, in direct violation of the Kano State High Court’s ruling.”
ALGON further accused the ICPC of persistently summoning and threatening their clients, with a notable incident occurring on September 10, 2024, when ICPC officers allegedly attempted to arrest one of the petitioners.
In response to these actions, ALGON filed a motion on notice on September 11, 2024, seeking to prohibit the ICPC from participating in the legal proceedings until it complies with the court’s order. During a court hearing on September 12, 2024, the matter was redirected to the Chief Judge of Kano for reassignment to another judge.
However, the petition alleges that despite these legal proceedings, the ICPC, under Aliyu’s direction, raided the home of the Chairman of Rimin-Gado Local Government, one of the 35 petitioners in the suit, on September 13, 2024, arresting and detaining him at their headquarters in Abuja.
ALGON is urging the LPPC to investigate the matter, stating, “We request that this honorable Committee ensures that senior legal practitioners, especially those admitted to the Inner Bar, adhere to the highest standards of behavior and uphold the rule of law.”
The dispute stems from an ongoing legal case, identified as suit number K/M1622/24, involving allegations of a N400 million drug fraud and the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission. The ICPC has been named as one of the respondents in the case.
