An FCT High Court has ordered the arrest of factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki (SAN) over his absence from the court.
Justice Peter Kekemeke made the order after Turaki failed to answer a one-count charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) against him.
Justice Kekemeke noted that there was no reason adduced by the ex-minister for his continued absence from the arraignment after being serviced the notice.
Turaki, who served as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs from 2013 to 2015 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, has been engaged in a dispute over the leadership of the PDP with the Nyesom Wike and Samuel Anyanwu-led factions.
In the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/647/25, police alleged that the factional PDP national chairman provided false information to them in a petition he lodged in 2022.
Police prosecutor Usman Rabiu had earlier asked the court to activate Section 143 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 and order Turaki’s arrest for repeatedly failing to appear.
The matter, initially pending before Justice K.N. Ogbonnaya, was later transferred to Justice Kekemeke following the ex-minister’s petition to the Chief Judge of the high court, expressing his lack of confidence in the judge’s handling of the matter.
Justice Ogbonnaya handed over the case file without issuing the bench warrant.