Nigeria High Court Threatens AGF With Imprisonment Over Failure To Release Okuama Leaders
LAGOS NOVEMBER 15TH (URHOBOTODAY)-A federal high court in Warri, Delta state, has warned Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, of possible imprisonment for contempt over his failure to comply with an order directing the release of detained Okuama community leaders.
The warning is contained in a Form 48, titled “Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court”, issued on November 11, 2026, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the community leaders.
Addressed to Fagbemi, the notice warned that failure to obey the court’s order for the immediate release of the applicants would amount to contempt of court.
“Take notice that unless you obey the injunction contained in the Court Order overleaf for the immediate release of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th applicants from detention, you will be guilty of Contempt of Court and will be liable to be committed to prison,” the notice reads.
The notice relates to an order made on June 10, 2026, by Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, a judge of the federal high court, directing the release of the applicants in the suit marked FHC/WR/CS/42/2024.
The applicants listed in the suit are Arthur Ekpekpo, James Oghoroko, Bernard Esegba, Belvis Adogbo, Dennis Okugbaye and Mabel Owhemu.
The respondents in the suit include the federal government, the AGF, the Armed Forces of the Federation, the minister of defence and the chief of defence staff.
The detained leaders have been in the custody of the army since August 2024.
Some months after the detention, Oghoroko, the president-general of the Okuama community, and Okugbaye, the community’s 81-year-old treasurer, reportedly died in military custody.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) subsequently said it was investigating reports of the alleged deaths of two Okuama leaders in military custody.
Their arrest followed the killing of 17 soldiers — comprising a lieutenant colonel, two majors, one captain, and 12 soldiers — on March 14, 2024, during a peace mission aimed at resolving a dispute between Okuama and the neighbouring Okoloba community.
TheCable
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