A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday restrained the Inspector General of Police (IGP) from inviting or arresting the former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, over the alleged bank loan being investigated by the Police Special Fraud Unit since 2012.
The judicial pronouncement made by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, was contained in a judgment delivered yesterday.
The court also barred the police boss and his agents, especially the operatives of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) from harassing, intimidating and breaching the fundamental rights of the former governor and his aides.
Justice Mohammed was ruling on a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed against the IGP and others by the former governor.
He held that any attempt to commence any further interrogation on Senator Saraki, which actually started since 2012 and over an issue already declared closed by the Minister of Justice would amount to a breach of fundamental rights of the senator.
The judge noted that it would be unfair for Senator Saraki to be subjected to further interrogation by Police having been cleared of any wrongdoing by the AGF in the report Police willingly submitted to the Minister.
The court’s decision was based on a legal advice by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) that the allegations of wrongdoing against him were baseless and unfounded.
The Judge said the court had no choice than to give effect to the legal opinion of the Minister of Justice that the complaints against Senator Saraki were baseless, unfounded and not supported with any documentary evidence since he had no link with Joy Petroleum Limited, the complaint.
The court also held that police ought to have stopped any further harassment of the senator since the AGF had officially written the Inspector General of Police to discontinue the matter.
