Court Orders IG to Produce Detained Bayelsa Governorship Candidate

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday ordered the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to produce before it on Wednesday (tomorrow), a governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Vijah Opuama, who has been detained by the police since August 15, 2020.

Opuama, the Liberation Movement’s governorship candidate in the November 16, 2019 election was said to have been arrested by the police on the premises of the state’s Governorship Election Petitions

Tribunal in Abuja, on August 15, 2020, while waiting for judgment to be delivered on his petition challenging the outcome of the disputed poll.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo made the order directing the IG to produce him in court on Wednesday and also directed the police boss to show cause why the detainee should not be released unconditionally.

He gave the orders shortly after Opuama’s ex parte application was moved by his lawyer, Mr. Michael Odey.

The judge said although the veracity of the claims contained in Opuama’s application could not be verified until the police responded to them, it was of concern that the police could detain the suspect beyond the constitutionally-permitted 24 hours period without granting him an administrative bail or charging him with any offence before any court of competent jurisdiction which he said were many in Abuja.

He, therefore, ordered that the respondents (the IG as the 1st respondent, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police heading the IG’s Monitoring Unit, as the 2nd defendant) “shall show cause why the applicant should not be released unconditionally”.