ALGON Crisis: IMC Urges IG to Obey Court Order

•Accuses police of compromise

Adedayo Akinwale

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Baba to obey the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja which gave the IMC the power to carry out its duties.

For more than two years, ALGON has been enmeshed in crisis following the emergence of Hon. Kolade Alabi, the Chairman of Bariga Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) of Lagos state.

But his eligibility status was challenged in the court as his LCDA was not one of the recognised 774 local governments in the constitution.

However, a Federal High Court Abuja on August 5 gave an order restraining State Security service or any other security agencies of the federal government from in any way whatsoever arresting, harassing, intimidating or violating the rights of member of the IMC at the behest of Hon. Alabama Kolade and Hon. Binta Bello in violation of the order of the court in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CV/CB/378/2021.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, the National General Secretary of the IMC, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, said they were beginning to see signs of compromise on the part of the police.

According to him, The court ordered that the rightful people should be allowed to come in and do their job. Now, that has been achieved. The court has also given the IMC the power to carry out and carry on with its duties.

Abubakar lamented: “Unfortunately, maybe some people seem to be above the law in this country, some people seem to be above the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and some people seem to be above even the security agencies of this country to see that the IMC having secured this order. I think on Thursday, the IMC went to the office to see how it can resume the function it has been saddled with. Yes! that was achieved, the IMC was able to get into the office, the media was there, resumed office, addressed the press, planning to come and continue with its activities.

Abubakar alleged that after the members of the IMC resumed office last Thursday, the DPO of Maitama police station and some of his officers invited the Alabi Kolade group and assured them they had the protection of the police.

He added, “We are beginning to see signs and the signs showed that there is already a compromise already on the part of the security agency (police). Because I don’t see reason why after the resumption of the IMC and having taken over the secretariat of the association, few other people will be escorted into that secretariat by the police and when we found out, it was discovered that that action was carried out by DPO of Maitama police station.”

“Now, we ask the question, what’s their own business in this? What’s their interest in this? Sir, a matter of something has exchanged hands, if that’s the case, this is a constitutional matter and the police, in the order, has also been restrained not to deny the IMC any right to function. We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police to respect the court order.”