Abuja Court Issues Bench Warrant for Turaki's Arrest

An Abuja High Court issued a bench warrant on Thursday for the arrest of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and former minister under President Goodluck Jonathan, after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment on a criminal charge. The order came from Justice Peter Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where Turaki faces prosecution for allegedly providing false information to police in a 2022 petition.

The single-count charge, filed on November 15, 2025, and marked FCT/HC/CR/647/25, accuses Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria based in Asokoro, Abuja, of submitting misleading details to the Inspector General of Police on October 5, 2022. Prosecutors, led by Usman Rabiu, described the act as an offense punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Law. The case was initially assigned to Justice K.N. Ogbonnaya, but transferred to Kekemeke following a petition from Turaki questioning the original judge's impartiality.

During Thursday's proceedings, Rabiu informed the court that the hearing was set for Turaki to enter his plea, but the defendant remained absent despite being served with the charge and a...