A legal practitioner and human rights advocate, Ife Ajibuwa, has condemned the Executive Chairman of Akoko North-East Local Government Area, Alhaji Mohammed Mutiu Olawale, for allegedly declaring some individuals “wanted” over alleged drug-related offences.
Ajibuwa, in a statement issued, described the action as an abuse of office and a flagrant violation of the Nigerian Constitution, stressing that no local government chairman has the legal authority to declare any citizen wanted.
He said, “While the fight against illicit drug trafficking remains a lawful and commendable pursuit, the action of the Local Government Chairman in declaring any citizen ‘wanted’ is wholly unconstitutional, ultra vires, and of no legal effect whatsoever.”
According to him, the power to declare a person wanted rests solely with competent law enforcement agencies or a court of law, not with local government officials.
Citing various court judgments, including Fawehinmi v. IGP (2002) and Ojukwu v. Governor of Lagos State (1986), Ajibuwa maintained that no individual or government organ is permitted to usurp the statutory powers of the police or the judiciary.
He described the chairman’s move as “a dangerous precedent and a shocking exhibition of administrative ignorance,” warning that it ridicules due process and undermines the rule of law.
Ajibuwa, therefore, urged Alhaji Olawale to immediately withdraw the “unlawful notice” and forward any evidence regarding the alleged offences to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) or the Nigeria Police Force for proper investigation.
“Nigeria is not a jungle. The law must remain supreme over the whims of public officers,” he added.
As of press Time, efforts to get the reaction of the Chairman proved abortive