Group petitions IG over failure to enforce court order
A human rights organisation, Council for Affirmative Action, has demanded for the “immediate resignation” of the Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, CP Auwal Muhammad, over failure to enforce a court judgment of a case involving over 300 hectares of land.
This was contained in a petition written by the Executive Director, Council for Affirmative Action, Mbami Iliya-Sabka, which was addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through the Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State.
The petition with reference number: cofaa/admin 03/Vol. 3./2024, dated January 8th, 2024, was titled, ‘Re: Demand for the immediate resignation of CP Auwal Musa Muhammad, Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Police Command’, due to his failure to respond to a petition and enforce a court judgement.
Iliya-Sabka, said in the petition that the Commissioner of Police failed to appropriately respond to a petition dated December 28th, 2023, submitted to his office by O.J. Bichi, which “highlighted criminal conspiracy, intimidation, threat to life, usurpation of court powers, forceful taking over and selling of family lands in Kajutu and Kwuitun villages, Bauchi metropolis, Bauchi State.”
He said, “The petitioners, comprising individuals who are bonafide owners of the land, sought the intervention of the Nigeria Police Force in upholding justice and enforcing the judgments of both the High Court of Justice, Bauchi State and the Court of Appeal, Jos, Plateau State.
“Despite the gear and unambiguous decisions of the courts dismissing the claims of Alhaji Muhammad Mahmud Maishanu, over the disputed land, Commissioner Auwal Musa Muhammad has failed to take appropriate action to prevent the ongoing criminal activities.”
According to him, documents, including the judgments of both the High Court of Justice, Bauchi and the Court of Appeal, Jos, which were made available to our correspondent, clearly established the legal rights of the petitioners to the land in question.
The petition by O.J. Bichi and Partners obtained by The PUNCH was titled, “Petition against some officers of the Nigeria Police serving in Bauchi State Police Command, staff of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, Bauchi State, and Alhaji Muhammad Mahmud Maishanu, for criminal conspiracy, intimidation, threat to life, usurpation of court powers, forceful taking over and selling of the family lands of people of Kajutu and Kwuitun villages in Bauchi metropolis, Bauchi State,” and addressed to the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police on December 28th, 2023.
When contacted for a reaction, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bauchi State Command, Ahmed Wakil, explained that efforts were being made to investigate and address the grievances and complaints brought before it.
