The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka and his counterpart in the Administration Section, CP Alonge have been dragged before the Police Service Commission, PSC.
The petition dated August 15, 2022 was signed by a Lagos based legal practitioner Bamidele Ogundele on behalf of his client, Mr. Walter Okeke who reside in Port Harcourt City, Rivers State.
Mr. Okeke want the PSC to set up a disciplinary panel for the duo for alledgedly disrespecting a court judgement.
Others mentioned in the petition are CSP Gladys Enoho Imegu, Eniyepere Sikpi Esq., Godday Amadi, Esq.
These officers were accused of being involved in a charge presented and acted upon by Chief Magistrate A.O. Amadi-Nna on May 27, 2022.
Mr. Ogundele on behalf of Walter Ubaka Okeke also mentioned ACP Alex O. Ebbah, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Administration) Force CID, Abuja for alledgedly instigating the arrest and prosecution of Mr. Walter Okeke unjustly.
The petition has volume of documents detailing the legal process which Mr. Ogundele claimed forbade the Police from harassing his client.
Giving a background information to the case, Mr. Ogundele wrote that a judgement of the High Court, Port Harcourt Division was delivered in Suit No PHC/202/CS/2022 against the Police and Respondents Judgement Debtor, Mr. Paul Ifeanyi Amaonye.
He said the bailiff of the court legally applied for the execution of the judgement by requesting for the security protection to execute the judgement.
He told the PSC that Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Friday Eboka made efforts to frustrate the execution through the office of the OC Legal, CSP. Gladys Enoho Imegu.
He however stated that the execution was carried out with all the conditions stated in the Writ of Execution dated April 27, 2022 adding that all the goods/chattels removed by the bailiffs of the court where listed via Auction Notice for sale at the premises at Plot 230 Iyowune Street, Trans Amadi Industrial Layout off Peter Odili Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to him, a company named Sacen Projects Limited successfully bought all goods on May 23, 2022.
Mr. Ogundele and his client however expressed surprise that contrary to the court judgement delivered by Justice T.S Oji of Rivers State High Court, officers from the Police Command arrested Mr. Walter Okeke for stealing some goods that constituted the object of auction by the court bailiff and charged him to a Magistrate Court in charge No PMC/ 884C/2022 and was remanded in a correctional centre in the absence of his lawyer and family.
On May 31, 2022, Mr. Okeke got a reprieve as Justice Chinelo Odili in suit no. PHC/1705/FHR/2022 released him on bail and scolded the Rivers State Police Command for its involvement on a purely civil matter.
He however expressed surprise that the same officers were deviant as the office of the deputy Inspector General of Police, Force CID, Abuja was dragged into the matter, by alleding allegation of stealing of pipes emanating from the execution of the court judgement, but this the petitioner said was dismissed by late DIG Joseph Egbunike who concluded after a discreet investigation that the matter is purely civil and that due process was carried out in the execution of the order.
In the paragraph 14 of the petition, Mr. Ogundele told the PSC that he was surprised that the Commissioner of Police (Administration) raised another police wireless message to the office of Commissioner of Police contradicting the earlier wireless message and reprobating the existing earlier wireless message where it was held that the case is a civil matter.
He specifically stated that on August 11, 2022, the Commissioner of Police (Administration) Mr. Alonge mobilised two Rank and files to Port Harcourt, one Inspector Nuhu David with telephone number 07061848819 and another Inspector allegedly went to the office of Mr. Walter Okeke to evacuate goods/chattels already sold through auction, but were resisted by Mr. Okeke and the new buyer, Sacen Projects Limited.
Mr. Ogundele claimed that till date, his client has been subjected to undue harassment and intimidation.
In conclusion, Mr. Bamidele Paul Ogundele and his client Walter Ubaka Okeke want the PSC to impress it on the affected officers to respect the rule of law and stay off civil matters in the interest of justice.
