A High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kabiru Turaki (SAN), a factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for failing to appear for arraignment in a criminal case initiated by the police.
The trial judge, Justice U.P. Kekemeke, ruled that Turaki’s absence from court was unjustified and ordered his arrest.
Turaki, a former minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, is being prosecuted by the inspector-general of police on a single count of allegedly submitting false information to the police in a petition filed in October 2022.
However, Turaki’s absence was due to a petition to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court requesting that the case be transferred to another judge, citing a lack of faith in the court.
Justice Kekemeke ruled on the issue, holding that submitting a petition does not terminate criminal proceedings unless directed by the chief judge to do so.
The judge then granted the prosecution’s application, ordering that the defendant be arrested and brought before the court for arraignment.
The case was adjourned for further proceedings.
