A federal high court sitting in Abuja on Thursday declined to dismiss a suit seeking to compel Usman Baba, inspector-general of police (IGP), to commence a perjury trial against the presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, while ruling on an ex parte application granted permission to the Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, a civil society organisation (CSO), to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the IGP to prefer charges against Tinubu for having allegedly lied on oath.
According to the judge, the suit filed by the CSO has merit.
In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1058/2022 and filed on July 4, the CSO, claimed that Tinubu lied under oath when he tendered his credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 1999 when he
contested the Lagos governorship seat.
According to the group, the IGP is empowered by the constitution and police act to probe criminal allegations levelled against anyone.
The CSO had prayed the court for “an order of mandamus compelling the respondents to comply with sections 31 and 32 of the police act and section 3 of the criminal justice act, 2015 in respect of alleged crime laid out in complaint of the applicant encapsulated in the letter of June 16, 2022, received by the respondents on the same date and titled: Demand for Criminal Prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu under Sections 191, 192 and 463 of the criminal code act, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, consequent upon the findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly ad hoc Committee, 1999″.
The CSO, in the suit, said according to section 32(1) of the police act, any suspect is meant to be arrested and tried in court.
The group also said it was compelled to file the suit because the IGP ignored two letters it wrote calling for the prosecution of the former Lagos state governor.
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