Wike Asks Court To Stop Police Probe Of Rivers Re-run

The application which was made on Monday is seeking for an interim order of injunction barring the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, from proceeding with planned investigation into complaints, petitions, allegations of crime and various acts of criminality during the poll.

In the ex-parte motion filed by his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Wike joined the State Security Services (SSS) and a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro, as defendants in the suit.

Ozehkhome prayed Justice Gabriel Kolawole to issue an interim order of injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from enforcing or executing matters contained in a letter the IGP wrote to Wike on December 20, 2016, pertaining to the probe.

He told the court the IGP had in the said letter entitled, ‘Investigation into allegations of crimes committed during the last rerun elections in Rivers state’, stated that the, “purview of the investigation will cover allegations of bribes taken, several brazen murder incidents (including that of serving Police Officers), reports of gross human rights abuses, acts of sabotage/terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and ballot box snatching, all of which were perpetrated in connivance with several federal and state civil servants as well as highly placed politicians within and outside the state”.

Ozekhome insisted that action of the police to investigate crisis that trailed the rerun elections in Rivers state was illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void.

According to him, it was in the interest of justice for the court to set aside the IGP’s letter to Wike and direct the police boss to await the outcome of the commission of inquiry set up by the Rivers State government.