A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former minister and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, over his failure to appear in court for arraignment on a criminal charge.
Presiding judge, Peter Kekemeke, granted the order on Thursday after the defendant was absent despite being duly served with the charge and hearing notice.
Turaki, who is described as a self-appointed factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is facing a one-count charge filed by the Nigeria Police Force. The charge alleges that he provided false information to the police in a petition dated October 5, 2022, with intent to misuse lawful authority against one Saidi Mohammed Mainasara, an offence punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code.
At the hearing, prosecution counsel, Usman Rabiu, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the defendant to take his plea. He subsequently invoked Section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, urging the court to compel the defendant’s attendance through a bench warrant.
Defence counsel, Abdulaziz Ibrahim (SAN), opposed the application, arguing that a pending motion seeking to quash the charge should first be determined and requested additional time to file supporting processes. However, the prosecution maintained that such objections could only be entertained after the defendant’s plea had been taken.
In his ruling, Justice Kekemeke held that the defendant’s absence, despite clear evidence of service, was unjustified. He further ruled that the application to quash the charge was premature and could only be considered after arraignment.
Citing the provisions of Section 396(2) of the ACJA, the court ordered the issuance of a bench warrant to ensure Turaki’s appearance and adjourned the matter until April 22 for arraignment.
