The factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tanimu Turaki, has appealed a bench warrant issued for his arrest by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, and filed an application seeking a stay of execution.
The warrant was issued on Thursday by Justice Peter Kekemeke after Turaki failed to appear in court for his arraignment on a charge of allegedly giving false information to the police.
In a statement issued shortly after the ruling, Turaki’s office confirmed that his legal team had filed an appeal against the bench warrant, along with an application for a stay of execution.
The appeal notice, signed by his Principal Private Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, explained that Turaki’s absence in court was due to a “sudden hospital visitation.”
“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 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. 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,” it read.
Turaki’s office added that the matter is unrelated to internal PDP affairs but suggested that “external political influence cannot be completely exorcised.”
