BEVERLY HILLS, February 15, (THEWILL) – Officers of the Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday, clashed with activists and supporters of the Nigerian Peace Corps at the organisation’s headquarters in Abuja as they attempted to re-open the corps’ facility.
The police have accused the Peace Corps of being an illegal organisation, and its leader, Dickson Akoh, of allegedly defrauding the youth with a promise to get them jobs and sealed up the facility of the organisation.
THEWILL recalls that the Federal High Court in Abuja, in November 2017, ordered the police to unseal the headquarters of the paramilitary group sealed by the police while another Federal Judge, John Tsoho, on January 15, 2018, ordered the police to vacate the office.
Both rulings were ignored which prompted a group known as the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Justice and Equity to petition the House of Representatives accusing the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, of flagrantly disobeying subsisting court orders in favour of the Peace Corps.
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, on Tuesday, then asked the police to obey court rulings and vacate the headquarters which was first sealed in February 2017.
However, the police arrived the corps’ headquarters in five Toyota Hilux vans after the activists attempted to implement the court orders and the ultimatum by the House.
Meanwhile, the Peace Corps bill has been passed by the National Assembly since last year and is currently on President Muhammadu Buhari’s table awaiting assent.
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