By CALEB AYANSINA

ABUJA — Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Dr Abdulrasheed Maina, yesterday, dragged the Senate and Nigeria Police Force to Abuja Federal High Court, on a matter of breach of fundamental rights, pursuant to Section 46(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

Maina had been declared wanted by the police based on the order of the Senate for allegedly failing to appear before senators.

In the suit (FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 65/ 20B) instituted by his Counsel, Mahmud Magaji, SAN, Maina  prayed the court to quash the purported report of the Senate Committee’s resolutions and declare the arrest by the police unconstitutional, with a demand of N1.5b as damages.

The case, which comes up on February 11, in Abuja has the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria (1st defendant), Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria (2nd), Clerk of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria(3rd),  Senate Committee On Establishment & Public Service(4th), Senate Committee State & Local Government Administration(5th) as defendants.

Other defendants are: the Inspector General of Police (6th), Senator Aloysius Etuk (The Chairman Senate Committee on Establishment & Public Service)(7th) and Senator Kabiru Gaya (The Chairman Senate Committee State & Local Government Administration)(8th).

According to Magaji, SAN, his client is seeking an order of the court “setting aside the warrant of arrest  6th respondent against the applicant on February 2, 2013, as same constitute a violation of the applicant rights as guaranteed under section 35(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“A declaration that the Decision of the Senate through its Joint Committee on Establishment & Public Service; and the Committee on State & Local Government administration directing the immediate arrest and detention of the applicant by the 5th Respondent without any legal justification is unconstitutional, illegal, ultra vires, null and void and of no effect what so ever as same violates section 36(1) and section 6 (6) B of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”