Eniola Olayemi
Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, the Imo state capital, on Thursday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of members of the Adams Oshiomhole- recognised Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, according to reporter.
While giving the order to the commissioner of police for their arrest, the presiding Judge, Justice M. T Salihu gave the names as: Marcellinus Nlemigbo, Nzekwe Ugochukwu, Lady Love Ineh, Canice Nwachukwu, Josephine Nnorom, Paul Para, Linus Ineoha and Nicholas Osuagwu.
The Judge said they should be arrested for assaulting a bailiff, Nwawi Ogugua, who came to serve Court proceedings on members of the Committee in their factional office.
Justice Salihu ordered that all the members of the Committee, excluding one, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, who was the only person in Court, should be arrested and brought before the Court on January 31.
They are to explain why they should not be committed to prison for attacking an officer of the Court who was carrying out his legitimate duties.
It will be recalled the bailiff who had gone to serve Court Summons on the Caretaker Committee members was beaten to a pulp by thugs at the instance allegedly at the instance chairman of the Committee.
Narrating his ordeal, the plaintiff, said that he escaped death by the whiskers after thugs attacked him at the factional APC office, where he went to serve Court Summons on the Caretaker Committee members.
He said: “When I got to the office along Okigwe road, the moment I introduced myself and why I was there, some youths were asked to throw me out.
“It was then that they pounced on me and started beating me like a common criminal. They said they will kill me and nothing will happen”.
The Suit, No. FHC/OW/CS/01/2019 was instituted by the Imo State APC Chairman, Hon Daniel Nwafor, challenging the dissolution of the elected State Executive by the National leadership of the party with the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the Inspector General of Police and the nine members of the Committee as respondents.