A court in Abuja has summoned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to attend court on September 17 to among others, explain the absence of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in court on Monday.

Justice Abdullahi Garuba Ogbede of the Grade 1 Area Court, Aco Estate, Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja ordered the issuance of summons on Idris on Monday following Saraki’s absence when the case in which he (Saraki) is listed as defendant was called.

Saraki is listed as the sole defendant in a criminal complaint made against him by an Abuja-based lawyer and rights activist, Oluwatosin Ojaomo, in relation to the ongoing investigation by the police into the April 5, 2018 bank robbery incident in Offa, Kwara State.

In the complaint marked: CR/196/2018, filed under Section 89(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Ojaomo argued that Saraki’s alleged refusal to honour an invitation allegedly sent to him by the police, in relation to the Offa robbery investigation, amounted to the offences of “obstructing a criminal investigation and disobeying a public officer carrying out a lawful responsibility.”

At last hearing on August 3 this year, Justice Ogbede ordered that processes in the case be served on Saraki and adjourned to September 10 for report of service and hearing.

At the resumption of proceedings on Monday, complainant’s lawyer, E. S. Marcus noted that the defendant was absent in court. He also noted that neither the IGP nor his lawyer was in court to explain the defendant’s absence.

•Excerpted from The Nation report

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