A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has scheduled committal proceedings for May 11 and 12, 2026, against Assistant Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Ade Aina and 30 others over alleged contempt of court.
The case stems from accusations that Aina and the others interfered in the affairs of the Incorporated Trustees of Divine Homes Residents Association (ITDHRA), leading to the arrest and prosecution of the association’s former chairman, Uche Nwabueze.
The court directed that notices of the contempt proceedings be displayed at the Federal High Court premises in Ikoyi and at the addresses of the alleged contemnors, instructing them to show cause why they should not be jailed for disobeying court orders.
Nwabueze’s lawyer, Pius Segun Abioro, argued that the defendants deliberately violated court orders by resisting enforcement of a judgment, conducting elections under a nullified constitution, and operating a parallel executive committee. He cited Section 72 of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, which empowers courts to jail individuals who fail to comply with orders.
Nwabueze, in a detailed affidavit, accused the defendants of harassment, violence, and repeated obstruction of the enforcement of the court’s January 2024 and November 2024 judgments recognizing him as chairman. He claimed that attempts to enforce the ruling, including intervention by court bailiffs and security personnel, were violently resisted.
The court’s May proceedings will determine whether the alleged contemnors will be jailed for their defiance, testing compliance with judicial authority in Nigeria.
