A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Ebetokun to appear before it to explain the police continuous occupation of the 23 local government area of the state.

The Court in a suit instituted by Non-Governmental Organization, Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, directed the group to put the IGP, the CP and Attorney General of the Federation on notice in an exparte application.

The court also asked the NGO and Rufus Joshua to put on notice the State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, Head of Service of the state, who are the second set of defendants in the exparte application.

The group had approached the court over the police continuous occupation of the 23 local government area councils in the state.

However, the Presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Turaki, who gave the directive, said the notice to the defendants to appear before the court is to explain why the exparte order should not be issued against them over the continuous barricade of local government council secretariat in the state.

Turaki, who had earlier granted application for summon to hear the suit on vacation, thereafter adjourned till 16th of August, 2024 to hear the motion on notice.

Meanwhile, speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, the applicant’s counsel, Solomon Tamuno said his clients are in court to restrain the Nigerian police from their continuous barricade of the council Secretariat.

Tamuno said the occupation of the LGA secretariats has hindered Rivers indigenes from applying for employment opportunity released by the state government. (Vanguard)