A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has scheduled May 11 and 12, 2026, for committal proceedings against Assistant Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Ade Aina and 30 others over alleged contempt of court.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa set the dates after an application accused the senior police officer and others of interfering with the affairs of the Incorporated Trustees of Divine Homes Residents Association (ITDHRA). Their actions allegedly contributed to the arrest and prosecution of the association’s former chairman, Uche Nwabueze.
Others facing committal include SPs Lami Patrick, Esther Onyenike, Stanley Nwodo, Inspector Paul Edom, Adisa Tunde Friday, and several trustees of ITDHRA. The court directed that notices of the proceedings be posted at the Federal High Court and at the addresses of the alleged contemnors, requiring them to appear and show cause why they should not be imprisoned for disobedience.
At the center of the dispute is whether the defendants defied court orders by resisting a valid judgment, holding elections under a nullified constitution, and operating a parallel executive committee. Counsel for the applicant, Pius Segun Abioro, described the actions as a direct attack on the rule of law, citing earlier court orders from January 5, 2024, and November 21, 2024, that the defendants allegedly ignored.
Abioro emphasized that even if a party believes a court order is wrong, it must first comply before challenging it, referencing the Supreme Court ruling in Ojukwu v. Military Governor of Lagos State (1986). He asked the court to use its coercive powers under Section 72 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act to uphold judicial authority.
In his affidavit, Nwabueze detailed repeated harassment, resistance to court enforcement, and multiple arrests despite interim orders protecting him. He alleged violent obstruction by some defendants, including assaults on court bailiffs and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel.
The crisis stems from a January 5, 2024, judgment by Justice Akintayo Aluko, which nullified the association’s April 6, 2018 constitution and barred certain members from conducting elections or forming a parallel executive. Despite these orders, factional leadership persisted, leading to ongoing disputes even after a new committee was elected under Colonel Samuel G. Ladejola-Oginni (Rtd).
The upcoming committal proceedings may test the courts’ ability to enforce compliance with judicial authority in Nigeria.
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