The Akwa Ibom State High Court, Abak Local Government Judicial Division, has committed a police officer, Mrs Juliet Attah, to three months imprisonment for disobeying a court order to produce a tricycle she seized from a tricyclist, Mr Elijah Akpan, in 2024.
The court presided over by Justice Eno Isangedighi, issued the order in a ruling following the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the tricyclist against the convict attached to Abak Divisional Police Station.
In her ruling, Justice Isangedighi committed the policewoman to three months imprisonment at the Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service without the option of a fine.
The ruling came upon a motion on notice filed by the applicant on 12th March 2025 after hearing his counsel, Victor Nkanang, Esq., praying to the court for an order committing the contemnor to the Custodial Centre for disobedience to the Order of Court made on 18th day of November 2024. Another was made on 24th of February 2025, with the counsel for the respondents, Blessing Philip, Esquire, opposing the motion.
The case’s particulars show that the court made an order on 18 November 2024 directing Mrs Juliet Attah to produce the tricycle with identification Mark AFK 854 WX that was seized from the applicant, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The order was to be complied with within seven days, but upon receipt of the order, the contemnor is said to have refused to obey it and continued to hold onto the tricycle.
Counsel for the applicant, Victor Nkanang Esq., told the court that he addressed a letter to the contemnor attaching the court’s order. However, rather than comply with the order, the policewoman led a policeman to the applicant’s residence in an attempt to arrest him, but they did not find him at home.
The applicant’s counsel also told the court that he issued form 48, giving the contemnor notice of disobedience to the court’s order and an opportunity to retrace her steps, but the policewoman remained adamant.
The court also made another order on 24 February 2025 directing the divisional police officer Abak to produce the contemnor and show cause why she should not be committed for contempt, but the order was again treated with disdain, as both the divisional police officer and the contemnor were absent from the court on the return date, 3 March 2025.
In her ruling, Justice Eno Isangedighi found merit in the motion and held that Mrs Juliet Attah was in deliberate disobedience of a lawful and subsisting court order, which has inherent powers to punish an offender for any act that affects its dignity in the administration of justice.
Justice Isangedighi directed the director of the court to send a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the order to the attorney general of Akwa Ibom State to enforce compliance and that “the notice of the committal shall be forwarded to the commissioner of police, Akwa Ibom State, the Police Service Commission and the inspector general of police.”
The suit’s respondents were Victor Dickson Okon, Chief Uwemedimo Usoroh, Engineer Ephraim Asifa, Mr Vincent Williams of the Department of State Security, DSS, Uyo, Inspector Sonny attached to State CID, Uyo, the director of State Security Service, Uyo, and the commissioner of police, Akwa Ibom State.
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