IGP Adamu

After the #EndSARS protests, one of the steps taken by the Muhammadu Buhari governmenr was to encourage Governors to set up judicial panels of inquiry. Now that they are firing on all cylinders, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has gone to a Federal High Court in Abuja praying that the judicial panels of inquiry should be stopped.

The Police joined the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the attorneys-general of the states, and chairmen of the panels set up by the states in the suit (marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/1492/2020), filed by O.M Atoyebi.

The police, as published by thenewsguru, submitted that activities of the panels negate “section 241(1)(2)(a) and item 45, part 1, first schedule to the constitution and section 21 of the tribunals of inquiry act”.

The force, apart from arguing that the action of the governors “is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever”, it wanted “a declaration that having regard to the provisions of Section a14 (1)(2) (a) and Item 45, Part 1, First Schedule, 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the Federal Government of Nigeria has the exclusive power to organise, control and administer the Nigeria Police Force.”

Moreover, the Police wanted: “A declaration that the establishment of panel of inquiries by the Governors of the various states of the Federation of Nigeria, to inquire into the activities of the Nigeria Police Force in relation to the discharge of her statutory duties is a gross violation of the provisions of Section 241 (1)(2) (a) and Item 45, Part 1, First schedule, 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 21 of the tribunals of inquiry Act, Cap.T21, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

“A declaration that having regard to the circumstances of this case, the attitude of the governors of the various states of the Federation of Nigeria, in this case, is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 3rd to 38th defendants (the attorneys-general of the 36 states) from making or conducting any investigations, sittings and inquiries and/or from making or conducting any further investigations, sittings and inquiries in respect of matters affecting the Nigeria Police Force, and or further setting up any panel of inquiry in any state whatsoever in the country.”

The case will be heard again on 18 December.