Court Vacates Arrest Warrant Against PDP Factional Chairman Kabiru Turaki
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja has officially vacated the bench warrant it had previously issued for the arrest of Kabiru Turaki, the factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The decision was made on Wednesday by Justice Peter Kekemeke following Turaki's appearance in court and an oral application submitted by his legal representative.
Legal Proceedings and Apologies
During the court session, Chris Uche SAN, serving as Turaki's lawyer, offered a formal apology to the court for his client's absence on the previous date. Uche explained that he had been out of the country and returned earlier that day, proceeding directly to the court. He also extended apologies on behalf of Turaki, emphasizing that the PDP chairman holds the court in the highest regard and that his absence was neither intentional nor meant to show disrespect.
To demonstrate good faith, Uche announced the withdrawal of a motion on notice that had been filed by Turaki seeking a stay of execution of the arrest warrant. Additionally, he confirmed that Turaki was prepared to enter a plea regarding the pending charge against him.
Prosecution's Response and Court Ruling
In response, the prosecution lawyer, Usman Rabiu, stated that he did not oppose Uche's applications. Rabiu clarified that the primary purpose of the arrest warrant was to ensure the defendant's appearance in court. Since Turaki had now attended, the objective of the order had been fulfilled. Rabiu expressed no objection to proceeding with Turaki's arraignment on that day.
Justice Kekemeke, in his ruling, acknowledged that Turaki had voluntarily appeared in court before the arrest warrant could be executed. The judge noted the apology from Turaki's lawyer, although the specific reason for the earlier absence remained unclear from Uche's statements. Despite this, Justice Kekemeke chose to pardon the defendant and proceeded to vacate the arrest warrant.
Case Adjournment and Future Proceedings
Justice Kekemeke pointed out that since the case was originally scheduled for Wednesday to hear the motion on notice filed by the defendant, it would be inappropriate to proceed with the arraignment at that time. Consequently, the judge struck out the motion on notice after Uche applied for its withdrawal and Rabiu raised no objections.
The court then adjourned the case until April 22 for Turaki's formal arraignment. He will face a one-count charge, marked CR/647/2026, which has been brought against him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The charge alleges, among other things, that Turaki provided false information to the police.
It is recalled that Justice Kekemeke had initially issued the arrest warrant on March 26 after Turaki failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment on the criminal charge. The recent developments mark a significant turn in the legal proceedings, with the court opting to vacate the warrant in light of Turaki's compliance and the apologies tendered.
