The Federal High Court, Abuja has stopped the trial of the National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Mr Dickson Akoh in the case preferred against him by the Nigerian Police Force due to failure by the police to obey court orders given by the court since a year ago.
The trial judge, Justice John Tsoho stopped the trial on Tuesday, on the grounds that the police failed to unseal the Corporate Head Office of the corps as ordered by the court.
Giving a ruling, the judge asked that parties should stay action on the case until the order was respected
The appellant, Akoh had asked the court to stop the trial pending when the police would obey the court order.
The judge held that the police was an institution established by law and, therefore, must not develop the habit of disregarding court orders and judgments with impunity.
He maintained that it was wrong for the police to have disobeyed two decisions of the court which directed it to unseal the office in the last one year.
“It has often been said that justice is not for one part but for all including the state.
“In the instant case, the police cannot be said to be fair when the office of the defendant remained sealed on the instruction of the prosecution.
“Let the point be made that the hand of the police is not clean by refusing to obey court judgments and at the same time seeking the defendant to obey provisions of the law,’
“There is a democratic norm that no person or institution is above the law,” the judge said
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