ALLEGED ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE OF MORRIS ASHWE: POLICE DENIED SERVICE OF WRITTEN ADDRESS FROM COMPLAINANT

ALLEGED ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE OF MORRIS ASHWE: POLICE DENIED SERVICE OF WRITTEN ADDRESS FROM COMPLAINANT

By: Michael Mike, Abuja

The case of alleged enforced disappearance of Mr Morris Ashwe which came up before the panel on Monday for adoption of written addresses by  Counsel to parties  involved, experienced  initial hiccups as counsel to the respondents denied being served with the written address of the complainant as alleged. 

Lead counsel to the police at the ongoing Independent Investigative panel on human rights violations by  defunct  SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police Force, James Idachaba Esq, revealed  that,  rather than serve him a copy of the written address personally, or  the legal department of the Force headquarters, the panel’s Secretariat  served the Intelligence Response Team. 

According to Idachaba, the IRT is yet to transmit the  said written address served on them to him as lead counsel responsible for responding to the same. 

Idachaba maintained that, since  no service was made to him,   it is assumed that the complainant has no case against the police, since there is nothing to respond to. 

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Reacting, Chino Obiagwu SAN, lead counsel to the panel however disagreed with Idachaba. The learned silk  disclosed  to  the panel that the legal department of the Force  headquarters had refused to be served, rather directing the  bailiff to IRT to serve. 

Chino SAN further disclosed that after the initial back and forth, the bailiff indeed served both the IRT and the Commissioner of Police Legal, prosecution office at Force CID with a copy of the  written address of the complainant on December 9, 2021 respectively. 

Chairman of the panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima rtd, equally reminded counsel to police that,  at the last hearing on the matter, it had ordered that the  written  address be served on the first respondent  at IRT office. 

Following the directive of Justice Suleiman Galadima rtd,  a copy of the complainant’s written address was made available to James Idachaba Esq. 

The chairman however ruled that the panel will give the police counsel up till 14th December 2021 to respond to the address as he had just been served during the panel sitting. 

The matter was adjourned accordingly.

ALLEGED ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE OF MORRIS ASHWE: POLICE DENIED SERVICE OF WRITTEN ADDRESS FROM COMPLAINANT