The FCT High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the arrest of a police officer over repeated failure to appear in court for an alleged N300 million criminal eviction and property damage suit.
Trial judge, Samira Bature, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the police officer, Edith Erhunwuse, for her repeated absence from court.
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This order comes two months after an earlier bench warrant against Ms Erhunwuse.
“The court hereby issues a bench warrant to all law enforcement agencies for the arrest of the third defendant, wherever she may be found, for showing disobedience and disrespect to this court,” the judge pronounced.
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In 2023, the federal government charged the defendants: Cecil Osakwe, a property developer, Victor Giwa, a lawyer, and Ms Erhunmwuuse, a police officer, with nine counts of mischief, trespass, and tampering with properties belonging to one Asabe Waziri.
According to the charges, the defendants allegedly took the law into their own hands by taking Ms Waziri’s property worth N300 million and her passport.
No excuse despite the IGP’s directives
The judge’s decision on Thursday followed an application by the prosecution lawyer, Aderonke Imana.
Ms Imana complained that despite the order and letters sent to the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Ms Erhunwuse and directives from the Inspector-General of Police, the defendant has not made herself available.
Similarly, Ms Imana told the court that for over a year, she has refused to attend proceedings “without reasonable excuse” despite being duly served. She therefore urged the court to issue the bench warrant, which the court obliged.
The judge agreed with the submission and expressed concern that the court’s vacation could delay the resolution of the matter and directed that all security agencies arrest the police officer “wherever she may be found.”
Thereafter, the judge asked the other parties involved in the matter to continue to explore “an out-of-court settlement” and report back at the next sitting.
The judge adjourned the case until 29 September.
Backstory
In 2023, the federal government charged the defendants with nine counts of mischief, trespass and tampering with properties belonging to Ms Waziri.
Ms Erhunmwuuse was accused of conspiring with the other defendants to commit the alleged crimes.
One count said the defendants, in 2022, in Abuja, conspired and broke into the house of one Ms Waziri located at Mekong Street, Maitama, Abuja, with the assistance of some police officers, now at large, without her knowledge or consent.
The prosecution alleged that the intruders carted away her cash and other assets worth N300 million and her passport.
The offence is said to be contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under section 97 of the same Law.
The defendants applied for the case to be rejected.
In November 2025, the judge rejected their request to throw out the trespass charges due to the prosecution’s absence. Similarly, the case suffered several adjournments, stalling the arraignment of the defendants.
In April, the judge ordered the arrest of Mr Giwa and Ms Erhunmuuse over their failure to appear for arraignment.
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