The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Mokwa Division CSP Wakili Inusa, has said that he refused to collect a court letter because it was not properly addressed to him. According to him, "I'm not Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) as addressed to me; I'm Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) by rank; that was my reason for turning down the court letter".
He said there was no reason for him not to receive the letter if it was properly addressed to him, saying that as a police officer, he is a respecter of the law and has no reason to disregard a high court letter.
A Minna High Court had ordered the arrest of the DPO of Mokwa Local Government of Niger State, DSP Wakili Inusa, for refusing the service of court processes by bailiff.
The presiding judge of High Court 4, Justice Mohammed Mohammed, issued the bench warrant for the arrest of the DPO on Wednesday.
According to the court balilff, Wakili Inusa refused to accept the court processes after reading through them.
According to the court processes, one Isyaku and other applicants were seeking the enforcement of their fundamental human rights, dignity of their persons, personal liberty, fair hearing, freedom of movement, and right to bail.
The respondents in the suit were listed as the Inspector General of Police, IGP, DCP Bello of the FIB Special Taskforce, DSP Wakili Inusa, who is the DPO of Mokwa, and Hamza Baba.
The applicants, according to their counsel, Philip Emmanuel, have been incarcerated for almost three months by the police in Abuja after their arrest in Mokwa.
However, Justice Mohammed Mohammed said the refusal of the DPO to receive the personal service of the court processes was an affront to the administration of the criminal justice system.
He said, “As a law enforcement officer, the DPO is supposed to uphold the rule of law as done by the 1st and 2nd respondents, who are his superiors.
"This court cannot encourage such misconduct from anybody, especially a law enforcement officer.
“In view of the above, a bench warrant is hereby issued against Wakili Inusa, DPO Mokwa, to be brought to this court forthwith", he ordered.
He also ordered the immediate release of all the applicants in the matter.