Politics
BREAKING: Court orders arrest of COAS for contempt
- The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Faruk Yahaya, has been placed under arrest for contempt
- COAS has flagged off a combat swimming competition
A High Court sitting in Minna, the Niger State Capital, has issued a warrant of arrest on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Faruk Yahaya for contempt.
Major General Olugbenga Olabanji, Commandant Training and Doctrine Command, Minna, is also scheduled to be detained for a related violation.
Justice Halima Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, stated that the ruling was made after hearing an application on notice that was presented before the court in accordance with Order 42, Rule 10, of the Niger State High Court Civil Procedure 2018.
Yahaya and Olabanji would be kept in Minna correctional detention for challenges to the court’s ruling as of October 12, 2022, according to Justice Abdulmalik’s decision.
She claims that the two accused must stay detained until they are free of the contempt.
The matter was then postponed until December 8 for further proceedings by Justice Abdulmalik.
If you recall, Usman Baba, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), was given a three-month prison sentence for defying a court order in November by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Justice Olajuwon gave the ruling in response to a lawsuit brought by Patrick Okoli, a former police officer, who claimed he was forcibly and illegally retired from the Nigeria Police Force.
Additionally in November, Abdulrasheed Bawa, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was found guilty of contempt and sentenced to serve his time in prison at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja by Justice Chizoba Oji of a High Court in Abuja.
The judge determined that Bawa was in violation of the court’s decision from November 21, 2018, which required the commission to give back to the applicant his Range Rover and N40 million.
But in a later decision, Justice Oji overturned Bawa’s conviction after hearing an application from the head of the EFCC.
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In other news, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has flagged off the Nigerian Army (NA) Inter Formation Combat Platoon Swimming Championship at the National Stadium, Surulere in Lagos, where he tasked participants to take advantage of the Championship to enhance their fighting efficiency to conduct operations optimally, especially in riverine and amphibious terrains towards fulfilling NA’s constitutional mandate.
He added that the championship would enhance the combat proficiency of troops deployed for operations in the maritime environment.
The Army Chief urged participants to strive to bring out their best in the championship, as their efforts and preparation for the competition will translate to relative ease in the conduct of ongoing and future operations.
The COAS commended the 81 Division for selecting the National Stadium Surulere and Badagry for the Championship, as both locations, will provide realistic and ideal standards, with all requisite features for the training of this nature.
Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division NA, Major General Obinna Ajunwa in his welcome address, reiterated the emphasis placed on training by the NA. He expressed optimism that the championship would strengthen the swimming skill of NA personnel.
The championship is a five-day competition that will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be the conventional swimming phase at the National Stadium, Surulere, while the second phase is the combat swimming at the brown water in Slave Village, Badagry.
The participants were drawn from eight Divisions across NA formations in the country. These include 1,2, 3, 6,8,81and 82 Divisions, as well as Army Headquarters Garrison. They will keenly compete for laurels in different categories of swimming exercises.