Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tanimu Turaki, over his failure to appear in court for arraignment.
The warrant was issued after Turaki did not attend proceedings despite being served with the charge and a hearing notice.
Turaki is facing charges filed by the Inspector-General of Police, accusing him of providing false information to the police.
At the hearing, prosecution counsel, Usman Rabiu, told the court that the matter was slated for the defendant to enter his plea. He noted that Turaki’s absence persisted despite proper service of court documents.
Rabiu invoked Section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, urging the court to issue a bench warrant to compel the defendant’s appearance.
However, defence counsel, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN, argued that a motion had already been filed seeking to quash the charge and requested five additional days to submit written addresses. He maintained that his client’s presence was not required until the motion was determined.
In his ruling, Justice Kekemeke held that Turaki’s absence was unjustified, noting that the defence did not deny that the defendant had been duly served but failed to provide any reason for his non-appearance.
The judge ruled that under Section 396(2) of the ACJA, a bench warrant is the appropriate order where a defendant, aware of pending charges, fails to attend court.
He further held that the motion to quash the charge was premature and could only be considered after the defendant had taken his plea.
Consequently, the court ordered Turaki’s arrest to ensure his appearance for arraignment and adjourned the case to April 22.
