Islamic movement urges court to jail IGP for contempt 

The Islamic Movement of Nigeria popularly known as the ‘Shiites Movement’ has again called for an order for committal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba and the Chief Medical Director (CMD), National Hospital, Abuja to Correctional Centre for their refusal to obey a court judgment delivered on the 29^th June, 2020.

Halima Aliyu of the Academic Forum of the Movement stated this Monday at a press conference held in Abuja.

In the said judgment, the court ordered for the release of the corpse of Free-Zakzaky protesters killed by the men of the Nigerian Police on 22^nd July 2019 at the federal secretariat, Abuja.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had earlier declared the killings of the protesters by the police as illegal, unlawful, null and void and gross violation of their fundamental rights as enshrined in Section 33(1) of the 199 constitution as amended.

Consequently, the group described their disobedience to valid orders of courts of competent jurisdictions as quite unbecoming of public officers.

They prayed the court to declare both the IGP and the CMD guilty of contempt of court and sentence both of them to prison.

However, in the new suit bordering on contempt of and disobedience to court order filed at the Federal High Court, both the IGP and Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the National Hospital, Abuja, are expected to appear.

The suit which is before Justice J.K Omotosho of Court 7, Federal High Court, has been slated for hearing Wednesday.

The text of the speech reads in part: “The public will recall that on Monday, 22^nd July, 2019, police officers attacked a free-Zakzaky protest and opened fire on the protesters which led to the killing of 12 protesters, 1 unknown person, a Deputy Commissioner of Police and a journalist with Channels TV.

“Up till this moment, there are four corpses of protesters at National Hospital, Abuja, and 5 at Asokoro District Hospital. 

“All efforts to collect the corpses proved abortive following the adamant conspiracy between the police and hospital authorities.”