An Abuja Area Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a 60-year-old Saratu Musa and her son for allegedly resisting arrest, beating up a policeman and disobeying court summons.
The judge, Haruna Masanawa, ordered the police to arrest and produce Saratu and the son, Yawa Musa, in court on May 20.
Masanawa gave the order after hearing report of the court officials who went to carry out his earlier order for Saratu to be brought to the court for trial.
The officials told the court that Saratu resisted arrest and failed to honour court’s summons thrice.
They alleged that on the third attempt to arrest her, her son shielded her, assaulted the policeman by biting him on the shoulder and injuring one court bailiff.
At the last resumed hearing, the plaintiff’s counsel, Ekaobong Thomas, complained about the defendant’s “glaring lawlessness,” which, she said, amounted to contempt of court.
Thomas said it had become obvious that Saratu was resisting arrest and had disobeyed the court by refusing to appear before the judge many times, to the detriment of her client, Otunba Oladimeji.
She said that Oladimeji works in Gombe and had to come to Abuja each time the case was to be heard, “and this costs him a lot of money, inconveniences and risk.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oladimeji sued Saratu, his neighbour in Lugbe, Abuja, “for defaming, harassing, intimidating, threatening, insulting and assaulting him and a policeman.”
He also prayed the court to compel the defendant to desist from such acts and to pay him N150,000 as general damages.
Saratu, to date, has refused to appear in court to testify after several summons.
NAN reports that Saratu’s alleged regular dumping of faeces in Oladimeji’s compound in Lugbe started the problem.
Thomas said: “Oladimeji had earlier reported Saratu to the police, who tried to arrest her to no avail.
“The accused also fought the policeman, during which she got wounded and ended up with a broken arm.
“She then took the matter to the court and the court dismissed the case for lacking merit and substance.”
The police thereafter took Saratu to court.
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