By Police Vs Peace Corps Debacle: We Will Not Be Intimidated By Nigeria Police Lies – Akoh Reveals
By, Uchechukwu Ugboaja – Abuja
Following the refusal of the Nigeria Police to unseal the national headquarters of the Nigeria Peace Corps in accordance to the judgements of Justices’ Gabriel Kolawole and John Isoho of the Federal High Court, the Commandant of the Peace Corps Amb. (Dr.) Dickson Akoh have accused the Nigeria Police led by IGP Ibrahim Idris Kpotum of intimidation which he insisted will not deter his organisation.
He made this known while addressing news men at the National Assembly after the House Committee on Public Petition Chaired by Hon. Uzoma Abonta had summoned the Nigeria Police to appear before it to explain why the Police had refused obey the rulings of the court to unseal the premises of the Peace Corps.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives through its Committee on Public Petitions had on Tuesday 13th February directed the Police authorities to unseal the building within 48 hours in compliance with the judgments of Justices’ Gabriel Kolawole and John Isoho of the Federal High Court on the Peace Corps of Nigeria office sealed up since February 28, 2017, but the Police had however since refused to comply to that order.
According to Dr. Akoh, “Despite the two court orders still subsisting for the Peace Corps to take over our office, the Police came to the House of Representatives and lied, which I have succeeded to bring to the fore all they have been doing to the corps and my humble self, so whatever tissues of lies that they have said today is just a replica of what the police have been doing to us from day one which is to frustrate what we are doing.”
He further added that, “The Police have lied on oath again before the Committee that there is an order from the Court of Appeal restraining them from obeying the judgements of the High Court, but when asked to provide the purported oder from the Appeal Court, they reversed the statement by claiming that it was an application that they had,” he said.
The Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria Commandant berated the action of the Police whom he claimed have actually found nothing incriminating inside the said property and insisted that as a law abiding organisation it will continue to explore only legitimate means to take over its property from the Police as the Committee Chairman had promised to send its report to the larger house for further consideration.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is said to be gathering signatures of members to override President Muhamadu Buhari’s refusal to accent to the recently passed Peace Corps bill. One of the honourable members who spoke to our correspondent on the basis of anonymity claimed that this government must not loose this golden opportunity to create the needed jobs for millions of Nigerian youths which was one of the cardinal points during its campaigns across the country, and therefore called on the President to review his earlier position on the bill as most Nigerian youths stand to benefit if the bill is being signed into law.
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