BY VICTOR BUORO – Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), has challenged a bench warrant issued by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court following his failure to appear in court
He said there is no cause for alarm because an appeal has already been filed against the warrant for his arrest issued by Justice Peter Kekemeke. The court order was prompted by Turaki’s absence at a scheduled court hearing over a one-count charge of allegedly giving false information to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in a petition he wrote in 2022.
Marked FCT/HC/CR/647/25, the case was initially before Justice K.N. Ogbonnaya but was reassigned to Justice Kekemeke after Turaki petitioned the Chief Judge, expressing lack of confidence in the earlier proceedings.
In his submission, the prosecuting counsel Usman Rabiu had urged the court to compel Turaki’s attendance, citing repeated absences and invoking the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
Turaki, who served as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs between 2013 and 2015, explained through his Principal Private Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, that his absence was due to a sudden hospital visit, noting that his lawyers had also filed an application to quash the charge, which ordinarily would not require his physical presence.
The statement said: “The warrant was granted because of his absence in court today when the case was called. The petition was written in 2022, and due to his sudden hospital visitation, he was unable to attend. Additionally, his lawyers had filed an application seeking to quash the charge, which ordinarily would not require his presence.”
Furthermore, the statement said Turaki’s legal team has already filed an appeal alongside an application for a stay of execution against the bench warrant, maintaining that the matter is unrelated to the PDP but hinted at possible external political influence.
“While it needs emphasizing that this matter is completely unrelated to the Peoples Democratic Party, external political influence cannot be completely ruled out,” the statement added.
