From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
An Abia State High Court sitting in Umuahia has commenced committal proceedings against the State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Janet Agbede, and former state chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) Augustine Ehiemere over alleged disobedience of court order.
Others who are also facing contempt charges from the court include former state secretary of APGA, Sunday Onukwubiri and the officer in charge of the Commissioner of Police’s monitoring unit, SP Robert Adike.
In suit No: HU/229/2022, between Prince Nnanna Ukaegbu (claimant) and Augustine Ehiemere; Commissioner of Police, Abia State and Robert Adike, (defendants), the court ordered the service of Form 49 on the defendants to show cause why the order of attachment should not be made on them.
It was gathered that the court had ordered service of notice of disobedience of court order, Form 48, on the defendants.
The notice read; “Form 49. Notice to show cause why the order of attachment should not be made. Take note that the claimant or his counsel may apply to this court for an order for your committal to prison for having disobeyed the order of this court made on the 14th day of September 2022. And take further notice that you are hereby required to attend the court on the first mentioned day to show cause why an order for your committal should not be made.”
The Court of Appeal, Owerri, had on April 7, 2022, declared Ukaegbu as the authentic chairman of APGA in Abia State. However, the defendants had allegedly refused to comply with the order.
Vexed by the continued violation of the order, Ukaegbu filed a suit at the state High court claiming that the Commissioner of Police, Ehiemere, former state chairman of APGA and Adike, have failed to obey the order of the court by refusing to recognise him as the chairman of the party.
He prayed the court to commit the defendants to prison for disobedience of court order.