JUST IN: IGP Tells Court Why Ex-Minister Who ‘Stripped His Workers’ Should Be Investigated

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu wants the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to allow the police force to investigate former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, who was accused by some organizations of ordering four of his staff to be stripped naked and photographed, over a theft case at Signatious Hotel in Effurun, Delta State.

Gbagi had on September 30, 2020, filed a fundamental rights application before Justice Taiwo Taiwo, to obtain an order restraining the IGP and the Delta State Police Commissioner (COP) from arresting or detaining him over the matter.

But in a counter affidavit filed by counsel for the IGP(first respondent) and Delta State Commissioner of Police (Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa), Lukman O. Fagbemi said that based on petitions before it, it was duty bound to invite Gbagi to answer questions on the allegations.

“That the grounds and main complaint in all these above-mentioned petitions against the Applicant centres on allegation of molestation and dehumanization of his three innocent female and one male staff he was alleged to have ordered to be stripped naked and photographed by his son, Master Egba Gbagi, under the direct supervision of the Applicant.

‘That the said petition further alleged that the Applicant in this case directed his said son to post the said nude picture on internet after same had been taken by his son which he did by molesting and dehumanizing the person of those male and female staffs. The copy of the said picture is attached as EXHIBIT B,” he stated.

Furthermore, Fagbemi debunked Gbagi’s claim that the police were trying to arrest, detain and subject him to inhumane treatment, adding that he “is only needed for the investigation of those petitions written against him.”

On his part, Justice Taiwo adjourned the case to March 11 for “hearing”.

The applicant’s counsel, E.O. Ojakpa, told THE WHISTLER that he filed the suit because his client felt that beyond the incident between him and his staff, there were political undertones against him.

He claimed that there are attempt to use political pressure against his governorship aspiration.

“That a person is invited by the police does not mean he cannot answer, but if he believes that the reason is malicious, he has a right to challenge it; in this case, we found that they had already obtained a warrant of arrest which meant that if he presented himself to the police on that day, he could have been detained indefinitely.…….

“So he came to court to say this attempt to arrest me is wrong, that it is an attempt to use political pressure against who is a governorship aspirant,” he added.