Justice Samira Bature of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has issued a fresh bench warrant ordering all security and law enforcement agencies to arrest a police officer, Edith Erhunwuse, over her persistent failure to appear in court.

The officer is the third defendant in a suit marked FCT/HC/CR/222/2023, which involves an alleged ₦300 million criminal eviction and property damage case.

At the resumed hearing, the prosecution counsel, Aderonke Imana, informed the court that Erhunwuse had actively evaded and ignored court summons for more than a year, whereas the other defendants in the case had consistently attended the proceedings. The prosecution noted that an earlier bench warrant had already been issued against her, and official letters had been forwarded to the Commissioner of Police for the FCT Command.

Furthermore, despite explicit directives from the Inspector-General of Police requiring her presence, the officer failed to show up.

Relying on Section 353 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, Imana argued that the court is fully empowered to order the arrest of any defendant who has been duly served but refuses to appear without a reasonable justification.

In her ruling, Justice Bature expressed deep concern over the lack of progress in enforcing the court’s previous directives, noting that two months had passed since the initial warrant without any compliance.

She added that the upcoming annual court vacation could cause further unnecessary delays in the dispensation of justice.

Consequentially, the judge granted the prosecution’s application, declaring that the bench warrant applies to all law enforcement agencies to apprehend the officer wherever she may be found for showing flagrant disobedience and disrespect to the court.