Dare Babalola
Fresh legal drama has emerged around factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kabiru Turaki, following the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.
The development, which occurred on Thursday at the Maitama division of the court in Abuja, has now been met with a swift legal response, as Turaki’s lawyers filed an appeal and sought to halt the execution of the order.
In a statement signed by Ibrahim Abdulahi, Principal Private Secretary to Turaki on Thursday, Turaki’s camp attributed his absence in court— which led to the issuance of the bench warrant— to a medical emergency.
The statement reads partly, “Today, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama granted a bench warrant against Kabiru Turaki SAN on a charge of giving false information to the police in a petition he wrote as a private citizen in 2022. The warrant was granted because of his absence in court today when the case was called.”
The statement explained that the case stems from a petition Turaki wrote in 2022 in his personal capacity, noting that proceedings only commenced recently.
Providing further clarification, the statement said his absence was not deliberate and coincided with ongoing legal steps already taken by his counsel.
“The said petition was written in 2022, and the case emanating therefrom was charged to court today, and due to his sudden hospital visitation, resulting in his absence from the court. Additionally, his lawyers had filed an application seeking to quash the charge, which ordinarily would not require his presence.”
Following the court’s decision, Turaki’s legal team moved quickly to challenge the order, escalating the matter to a higher court.
“With the issuance of the bench warrant, his lawyers have immediately filed an appeal and application for the stay of execution against the said order.”
While the case has drawn public attention due to Turaki’s political profile, his camp insisted the matter is strictly legal and unrelated to internal party affairs.
“While it needs emphasizing that this matter is completely unrelated to the Peoples Democratic Party or the contemporary issues therefrom, external political influence cannot be completely exorcised from it.”
The statement, signed by Ibrahim Abdulahi, Principal Private Secretary to the National Chairman, also called for calm among party supporters.
“We urge all party members to remain calm as Turaki’s legal team is effectively handling the situation.”
The bench warrant follows a charge filed by the police accusing Turaki of providing false information in a petition submitted in 2022. Although details of the petition have not been fully disclosed, such cases typically arise when authorities believe information supplied in formal complaints may have misled investigations.
Under Nigerian law, a bench warrant is issued when a defendant fails to appear in court, compelling law enforcement agencies to produce the individual before the court.
The latest development adds to a series of legal and political tensions involving key figures within the opposition space, though Turaki’s team maintains that the current case is independent of party disputes.
As the appeal process begins, attention will be on whether the court grants a stay of execution and how quickly the matter proceeds, especially given the claim of prior legal applications challenging the validity of the charge.
