Unfreeze Peace Corps accounts now - Court orders police

macfranc007 October 10, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 David Oladele

- The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) frozen about 24 accounts of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) spread across various commercial banks in Nigeria

- PCN prayed Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for an order directing Diamond Bank, and Stanbic IBTC to unfreeze its accounts

- The court, however, ordered that the various accounts of organisation be unfreezed by police with immediate effect

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, October 10, ordered banks to unfreeze the 24 accounts of the Peace Corps of Nigeria.

News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) reports that the accounts were frozen at the instance of the police though an ex-parte order it secured on June 23, 2017.

Ojogu, on behalf of Peace Corps filed a motion on notice, dated July 5, praying the court to vacate its post-no-debit order freezing its accounts.

Also, Peace Corps prayed for an order directing Diamond Bank, and Stanbic IBTC to unfreeze its accounts.

Delivering ruling on the applicant’s motion on notice, the court relied on the sole issue formulated by James Idachaba, counsel to the police.

The issue was ''Whether the ex-parte order made by the court on Friday, June 23, is not liable to be discharged or vacated by the court.’’

Justice Tsoho described the arguments of Idachaba, counsel to police, in urging the court to dismiss the application of Peace Corps as ''great effort without effect.''

The court held that the motion ex-parte dated June 13, was filed in bad fate and amounted to gross abuse of court process.

The judge noted that the police did not controvert the affidavit evidence of Peace Corps that facts were suppressed and issues misrepresented by the police to obtain the ex-parte order.

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He said the police lawyer failed to show in his affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte how the Attorney-General of the Federation authorised him to act on his behalf.

According to him, ''This inconsistent posturing of the police adversely affected the validity of the ex- parte order granted by this court on June 23, 2017.

''In addition, the court agreed with the submissions of counsel to Peace Corps that an “interim order” must be short.

“I therefore hold that if the police desired anything more, it should not have come to this court by way of motion ex-parte, but through motion on notice, seeking an injunction.''

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the Lagos state police command announced the arrest of 34 officials of the Peace Corp organisation.

Is the Nigerian police friend - on NAIJ.com TV.