Court stops police, DSS from arresting CUPP spokesman, Ugochinyere

The FCT High Court sitting in Bwari, Abuja has ordered the inspector-general of police and the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS) not to arrest the Spokesman of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere. Justice Othman Musa, who gave the order on Thursday in Bwari, said the police and DSS should not give effect to the directives of the House of Representatives to arrest Ugochinyere.

”The 5th and 6th respondents are ordered in clear terms not to give effect to the act of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, either by themselves, servants or privies for acts of disobedience of the orders of Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/475/2020. “They are further restrained from arresting or detaining in any manner the applicant, pending the determination of the motion on notice.”

The House of Representatives, led by its Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, had directed the inspector-general of police, to arrest Ugochinyere over the allegation he made against the house, involving a $10-million bribe. Ugochinyere had alleged that the house collected the bribe to hurriedly deliberate upon and pass the controversial Infectious Disease Bill, pending before it

The house summoned the CUPP spokesman but Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja ordered that status quo should be maintained in the matter. Shortly after the house gave a fresh directive on Wednesday to the police and DSS, the CUPP spokesman rushed to court to stop his arrest. The 1st to 6th respondents in the case with suit number FCT/HC/BW/120/2020 are the speaker, the House of Representatives, Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Henry Nwawuba, the IGP and DG of DSS. NAN