The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to dismiss a suit filed by Senator Gilbert Nnaji (PDP/Enugu East), seeking to stop the police from investigating the alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Standing Order.
Responding to Nnaji’s suit on Tuesday, August 4, through a counter-affidavit, Arase pointed out that no court of law has powers to stop the police force from performing its statutory functions of investigating crimes.
According to the IG’s counsel, David Abuo, investigating the allegation of forgery in the Senate can only strengthen the integrity of the upper legislative house and its leadership, The Guardian reports.
Confirming the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended) was forged, said in its counter affidavit: “The present Senate has not enacted any standing orders yet. As at the time of inauguration of this present senate, no standing orders had been made. Till date, no such standing orders have so far been made.
“The practice is that at inauguration, the incoming Senate uses the standing orders of the preceding Senate. The Immediate past senate did not amend the 2011 standing orders and the 2011 standing orders have not yet been amended.
“The so-called 2015 standing orders were never made nor passed by the immediate past Senate.
“The plaintiff knows that the present senate president was not in a position to have passed the 2015 Senate Standing Orders before his inauguration.”
Abuo stated that the Senate President Bukola Saraki, and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu do not have immunity over criminal investigations, arguing that the matter at hand raised issues of criminality and the police owed Nigerians the duty of finding out the truth behind the allegations of forgery.
The police therefor urged the court to throw out the suit, which it described as ridiculous, laughable and mere waste of time of the court.
The Senate order being investigated by the police was allegedly used for the election of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly, which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy.
Last week, five senators belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were said to have filed a suit, challenging the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu.
According to the IG’s counsel, David Abuo, investigating the allegation of forgery in the Senate can only strengthen the integrity of the upper legislative house and its leadership, The Guardian reports.
Confirming the Senate Standing Order 2015 (as amended) was forged, said in its counter affidavit: “The present Senate has not enacted any standing orders yet. As at the time of inauguration of this present senate, no standing orders had been made. Till date, no such standing orders have so far been made.
“The practice is that at inauguration, the incoming Senate uses the standing orders of the preceding Senate. The Immediate past senate did not amend the 2011 standing orders and the 2011 standing orders have not yet been amended.
“The so-called 2015 standing orders were never made nor passed by the immediate past Senate.
“The plaintiff knows that the present senate president was not in a position to have passed the 2015 Senate Standing Orders before his inauguration.”
Abuo stated that the Senate President Bukola Saraki, and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu do not have immunity over criminal investigations, arguing that the matter at hand raised issues of criminality and the police owed Nigerians the duty of finding out the truth behind the allegations of forgery.
The police therefor urged the court to throw out the suit, which it described as ridiculous, laughable and mere waste of time of the court.
The Senate order being investigated by the police was allegedly used for the election of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly, which produced Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy.
Last week, five senators belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were said to have filed a suit, challenging the election of Saraki and Ekweremadu.
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