Judge decries JTF’s disobedience to ruling on freedom of nursing mother

Justice A. O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Yenagoa on Friday frowned at disobedience to his ruling ordering the release of a nursing mother in custody of the Joint Task Force (JTF)

The judge berated the joint force deployed to protect oil facilities in the Niger Delta Operation Delta Safe for flouting the court ruling demanding the release of two female detainees two weeks after the ruling.

It would be recalled that the court had on January 17 ordered the release of thetwo female detainees custody a nursing mother one Mrs Yeibra Esinghan and one Mrs Yedi Ketu,  pending the determination of the suit.

The detainees filed two separate suits numbers FHC/YNG/CS/1/2019 and FHC/YNG/CS/2/2019 seeking enforcement of their fundamental rights through their counsel Mr Victor Gbafe.

The suit is between the Commander of JTF Rear Admiral A. O. Sulieman and the applicants Mrs Yeibra Esinghan and Mrs Yedi Ketu,

They had prayed the court for an order for their immediate release from the detention and a restraining order against their arrest and detention pending the determination of the suit.

According to the affidavit filed before the court, they were arrested between December 26 and December 31, 2018 by the JTF operatives in Bomadi Town, and Mbiama town respectively when they could not arrest their targets.

At the resumed hearing, Awogboro was infuriated when the counsel to the detainees,Victor Gbafe informed the court that the applicants were yet to be released after the court order has been served.

In his submission, counsel to the JTF, Mr P. C Ahunwah, informed the court that the detainees were no longer in the custody of JTF stating that they have been transferred to the custody of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Awogboro who adjourned hearing to February 5, asked the counsel to the JTF to furnished the court with the details of the transfer of the detainees to the custody of DIA