Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Senators Dino Melaye and Ben Murray-Bruce to immediately honour police invitation for questioning over their roles in October 5, 2018 street procession in Abuja by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The senators had joined other PDP bigwigs to protest after Adegboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of governorship election in Osun State.
They had alleged that the police and other security agencies colluded with APC to rig governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun. The protesters were dispersed with teargas as they headed for the Force Headquarters.
Justice Okon Abang, in his judgement on Thursday, struck out the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Saraki, Melaye and Murray-Bruce.
He said the suit lacked merit and awarded N50,000 against the three applicants.
Abang ruled: “The court cannot restrain the Police from carrying out their statutory function; and in this case, they have acted within the provision of Section 4 of the Police Act.
“They issued the letters dated October 6 and 8 inviting the applicants for questioning over their roles in the procession of the Peoples Democratic Party that held on October 5, 2018. The Police acted in public and national interests.
“The letters of invitation dated October 6 and 8, 2018 remain valid and subsisting. The applicants shall respond and report to the Police without fail.”
He continued that “it is the outcome of the applicants’ honouring the invitation that would determine if their rights have been violated; certainly not before honouring the invitation.”
