Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu

The Nigeria Police Force has applied to withdraw its suit praying for an order stopping the various states’ judicial panels of enquiry probing allegations of rights abuses and other acts of brutality of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police tactical units.

The suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1492/2020, was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In a notice of discontinuance filed by Mr. Festus Ibude, a police counsel, the Force said it wished to withdraw the suit against all the defendants.

In a suit earlier filed by Mr. O.M Atoyebi, the force had argued that the establishment of panels of inquiry by state governors to investigate its activities was illegal and unconstitutional.

It asked the court to restrain the thirty-six state governors listed as defendants from conducting any investigation to probe the affairs of the security agency.

The decision to set up the various panels of enquiry which was challenged in the suit was taken by the National Economic Council with members including the 36 state governors and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Thursday, denied authorising the filing of the suit.