adminAn FCT High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), the factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after he repeatedly failed to appear before the court to face a criminal charge.
Justice Peter Kekemeke issued the bench warrant on Thursday, directing that Turaki — a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs between 2013 and 2015 — be arrested and produced for arraignment.
Turaki is facing a one-count charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) under case number FCT/HC/CR/647/25, which was formally filed on November 15, 2025. Prosecutors allege that the factional PDP chairman submitted a petition to the IGP on October 5, 2022, containing false information — an offence punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Law.
Police prosecutor Usman Rabiu urged the court to invoke Section 143 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, citing the defendant’s persistent absence from court proceedings as grounds for the arrest order.
The case had originally been assigned to Justice K.N. Ogbonnaya, who declined to issue an arrest warrant before eventually stepping aside following a petition Turaki personally wrote to the Chief Judge of the High Court, raising concerns over the impartiality of the proceedings. The matter was subsequently reassigned to Justice Kekemeke.
At Thursday’s resumed hearing, Justice Kekemeke expressed clear frustration over Turaki’s continuous failure to honour court summons, noting that the defendant had been duly served with hearing notices and had no justifiable reason for his absence. The court thereafter ordered his immediate arrest and production for arraignment.
— Pressngr
