THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has been dragged to court over his refusal to investigate and prosecute the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) Ahmed Bola Tinubu for alleged perjury.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Center for Reform and Public Advocacy, a civil society organisation, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday.
Respondents in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1058/2022 include the Nigerian Police Force and the IGP.
The group, through its lawyer, Mike Nwankwo, said it has the right to invoke the jurisdiction of the court to compel the respondents to discharge their legal, constitutional and public duties in line with the law.
According to the group, Tinubu lied under oath and was indicted by the Lagos State House of Assembly in 1999.
The group further argued that the amended 1999 Constitution and the 2020 Police Act empower the IGP and the police to commence criminal investigation and prosecution against the former Lagos State governor.
The plaintiff added that two letters, dated June 16 and 27, it forwarded to the respondents demanding Tinubu’s prosecution over alleged perjury have been ignored.
The IGP and the police “have not notified the applicant of any action taken on the said letter”, the group noted.
It, therefore, asked the court to make an “order of mandamus compelling the respondents to comply with sections 31 and 32 of the Police Act and section 3 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2015, in respect of alleged crime laid out in the complaint of the applicant encapsulated in the letter of June 16, 2022, received by the respondents on the same date and titled: Demand for Criminal Prosecution of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu under Sections 191,192 and 463 of the Criminal Code Act, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 Consequent upon the Findings of the Lagos State House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee, 1999”.
The Lagos State House of Assembly had instituted a probe to ascertain the allegations of results forgery and perjury against Tinubu in 1999.
The House in its report noted that Tinubu took “full responsibility” for some “needless errors” which he said formed the basis of the allegations against him.
The House also noted that Tinubu’s submissions during his appearance before its committee were not made for “judicial proceedings”.
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