Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed security organizations to offer Murtala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) candidate for governor of Kogi State, the highest level of protection in the November election. Ajaka requested an investigation into an alleged plan against him and his followers in a letter to the inspector general of police (IGP) through his attorney, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN).
The court issued the order on an ex-parte application brought before him by the candidate for governor,
The army, navy, DSS, and police are among the security organizations impacted by the court ruling. Before the hearing of a court-filed lawsuit, the instructions aim to ensure the SDP candidate’s safety.
The ruling was a follow-up to an ex-parte application filed on July 11 and requested a restraining order barring security forces from arresting, inviting, detaining, or endangering the applicant’s life and property while the substantive matter was being heard and decided.
The governor of Kogi State, the IGP, the commissioner of police (Kogi State), the director of the DSS (Kogi State), the commandant general of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the chief of the defence staff, the director of the army staff, and the chief of the naval staff are the defendants in the lawsuit with the file number FHC/ABJ/CS/952/2023.
After reading support for the motion and Mr. Sunday Aruwa’s (SAN) argument, Justice Ekwo determined that the application was meritorious and granted it.
cc: Leadership Ng
