The National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Dickson Akoh, said his organization would resume duties at its headquarters on Monday.
The office located at number 57 Iya Abubakar Crescent, off Alex Ekwueme Way, opposite Jabi Lake, Jabi, Abuja, has been under lock and keys since 28th February, when the Nigerian Police led other agencies to invade the premises and arrested Akoh and 49 others.
In attempt to seek the reopen of the office and commence normal activities, former Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), filed a N2bn human rights suit against police and others, on behalf of the PCN.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, 9th November, Justice Gabriel Kolawole faulted the manner in which the Peace Corps officers were arrested and detained.
He said the Police and other respondents were not able to convince the court that Akoh and his men were running military or paramilitary activities.
The Judge held that, the security agencies exercised their powers in violation of the fundamental rights of Akoh and his men.
He therefore awarded the sum of N12.5m as damages against the Police Force and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Justice Kolawole also ordered the police to immediately unseal PCN’s headquarters and also surrender all items seized during the raid to PCN, within seven days.
Three days after the court ruling, the Police had not vacated the premises.
But the National Commandant said it has been 9 months since the office was sealed and with the recent court order, the Corps was ready to resume activities in the office on Monday.
He said the order given in Thursday was supposed to have taken effect immediately, saying, a court order was a public pronouncement and public document.
“As I am talking to you, police are still sealing the headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, (PCN). Their truck is still there. They should obey this court order to vacate the PCN headquarters.
“I think what the police is looking for is for us to revolt so that they can use it to justify our actions and look for other charges to hold us”, Akoh told our Reporter Sunday.
He said “We will resume at the office on Monday because by Monday if we have our document with a court order, we will resume there”.
Speaking further on the charges against him, Akoh said, “I was wrongly accused and I have never received any money from government.
“As a voluntary organisation, if you want to join you need uniform and kits.
“And if you want to go for the orientation you pay N40, 000 that was the only accusation that the police are holding on to.
“The IGP never gave me the opportunity to defend myself. In their bid to rush and take me to court, they did not look at the reality on ground and I could not have opened up some facts.
“It is not done in any society. I have travelled widely courtesy of PCN to United Nations (UN) programmes but there is no country in the world that someone of IGP status that has been accused of being fraudulent and he is still in office.”
When asked what he would do if police appealed against the judgement, he said, “the police can appeal this matter. With my little knowledge, the police have made me to be very knowledgeable in law now.
“As far as we are concerned whether they appeal thinking that they would delay they must deposit that money in the treasury of the corps.
“They believed that, once they arrest and dump you into detention, if you like go to Court they will always tell you that has the judgment you got before served you any purpose?
“If law enforcement officers that should protect and enforce the law should demean the law of this land to that extent, then it is so bad.
“For me, they my raise other fictitious accusations against me because they have the weapon, they have the powers of investigation and prosecution, but I will appreciate if the federal government can set up a high-powered Independent Commission of Inquiry against me because I have not committed any crime.
“But the problem they have is that I midwifed an organisation whose bill has been passed. With that they felt very disturbed.
“The judgment has restored people’s interest in the organisation. My friends at a particular point started avoiding me.
“People that I know with those I have helped before were saying so this man is a ‘419’ person.
“So he is running an organisation that is not known. But today calls and congratulatory messages have started coming from some of these People.”
Akoh said his organisation would continue to be law abiding in carrying out its core mandate, which he said has nothing to do with the schedule and duties of the Police and other agencies.
“What I’m doing today is not only because of myself, it is for the general interest of Nigerian youths, I can decide to leave this body any day”, Akoh submitted.
