Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the immediate arrest of a 47-year-old Bayelsa State politician, Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, over the abduction of Deputy Commissioner of Police Kola Okunlola in the state on February 24.
The police officer, in charge of the Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad, was reportedly abducted in Brass, Bayelsa State, while he was monitoring the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Goli, who was a House of Representatives candidate in the last election, was accused of coordinating the abduction.
Justice Okon Abang, while issuing the warrant of arrest, equally directed that it should also executed on Goli’s alleged accomplices, Victor Tamarapreye (male, 34) and Azi Newton (male, 34).
Justice Abang, in a ruling on an application by Simon Lough (representing the Inspector-General of Police) ordered that the three, listed with eight others as defendants in a charge pending before the court, be arrested anywhere they are found in the country, in connection with a five-count charge filed in the name of the IGP, in which the 11 were charged under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over their complicity in Okunola’s abduction.
When the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/53/2019 was called, Lough told the court that even when Goli, Tamarapreye and Newton were served with the charge and informed about the March 20 date, they neither attend court nor sent lawyers.
Lough then prayed the court to issue an arrest warrant on the three defendants, who have been served with the charge, to facilitate their production in court.
In response to the judge’s observation that the prosecution has the capacity to ensure the arrest and production of the defendants in court, Lough said the order from court would make the task easier.
Upon being satisfied with Lough’s submission, Justice Abang said although it was not mandatory for the court to issue bench warrant on a defendant yet to be properly arraigned before the court, he was inclined to exercise his decretion in favour of the prosecution in view of the nature of the charge.
Justice Abang noted that sections 113 and 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, on which Lough relied to make his application, did not make the grant of bench warrant mandatory.
He said: “However, having considered the nature of the charge, I am inclined to exercise my jurisdiction in favour of the prosecution in granting the order sought.”