Justice Mohammed Jibril of the Upper Area Court of Nasarawa State, sitting in Maraba, Gurku, has ordered the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Area 10, Garki and two Managing Directors of commercial banks, to appear before it or face committal proceedings.
The affected banks are the Standard Chartered Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc.
The order was sequel to an alleged order obtained by the Police from the Magistrate Court in the state authorizing the commercial banks to freeze a customer’s bank account domicile in the banks in Lagos State.
Justice Jibril ordered the defendants to appear before the Court, over an order sought to be vacated and to explain, who executed the order.
The Court had earlier granted an order to the Police in two different suits delineated UAC/KAR/ 20/2023 and UAC/KAR/21/2023 filed against Access Bank Plc and Osareme Vera Archibong in first and second respondents respectively.
However, in the second suit, the Police had gotten a Court order against the bank and the Standard Chartered Bank’s Manager as well as Osareme Vera Archibong, as respondents / applicant in the suit.
But following the order obtained by the Police, the second respondent / applicant (Archibong) in the suits through her Counsel, Emeka Ozoani, SAN, approached the Court to vacate the order.
After his arguments and submission before the Court, the judge ordered the applicant (the DIGP) to appear before it, noting that he found it difficult to be set aside.
In his ruling, the Judge held that he has listened to Emeka Ozoani, SAN, and Grace Agbal, for the 2nd respondent / applicant and have cause to peruse through the Criminal and Civil Complaint books and the record of the Court, but found it extremely difficult to lay hus hands on the order that sought to be set aside.
“I shall order the applicant / respondent in the order sought to be vacated, who is the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID, Area 10, Garki Abuja, the first respondent; Standard Chartered Bank Plc and the Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Plc, who executed the order to produce before me the order sought to be vacated and I so hold”.
The Court further warned that it would issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the DIGP, Force CID, Area 10, Garki Abuja, to compel his appearance.
“I shall in furtherance to this issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the Manager, Standard Chartered Bank Plc to compel his appearance before me and I so hold.”
The judge subsequently adjourned the hearing of the case till March 14, 2023.