I read through this news @ http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article07 and had no courage left but to weep deeply for my dear country Nigeria. We are really having a full session of Medo-Madness here in our politicul arena.

AN Abuja High Court yesterday frowned at the failure of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, to arrest the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Nasir el-Rufai, over alleged contempt of court.

Consequently, the court renewed its order directing the police boss to arrest and produce El-Rufai on March 29 for disobeying its order restraining him from evicting or taking steps to evict the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Mrs. Koriparo Ageri, from her official quarters in Abuja.

The development came as the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) headed by El-Rufai ordered the authorities of Federal High Court in the FCT to vacate their premises, which is a temporary headquarters, or face demolition.

Last week, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi, while adjudicating over the suit brought by Ageri in protest of her possible ejection, had ordered Ehindero to produce El-Rufai at the resumed sitting yesterday to explain why he should not be committed to prison for disobeying his orders.

But when the matter came up yesterday, the Police boss did not produce the minister.

This irked Justice Oniyangi as he berated the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lawrence Alobi, for not executing his order to produce El-Rufai in spite of having received the court's order.

"Such actions obstruct the flow of the rule of law, the act constitutes a derailment of the rule of law and has caused a delay in the hearing. I am disappointed", the judge stated.

Consequently, Justice Oniyangi renewed the order to the effect that the order issued on March 16 be served on the Inspector-General of Police again and that he should accept and act upon it by producing El-Rufai and the Executive Secretary of the FCDA on infrastructural Development, Malam Muhammed Alhassan, on March 29 to show cause why they should not be committed to prison for contempt of court orders.

On the order that the Federal High Court should vacate its premises, the FCDA warned that it would not hesitate to demolish the temporary headquarters of the court if its authorities fail to comply with its directive immediately.

This position contained in a quit notice pasted on the entrance to the court, caused a stir as lawyers and litigants beseeched the place to read it.

The quit notice reads: "You are hereby ordered to vacate this site you are illegally occupying/developing and report to Development Control Department at No. 1, Asamara Street , Zone 6, Wuse District, Abuja.

"Failure to comply will lead to demolition of your structure and legal action will be taken against you. To avoid embarrassment, please, comply."

The quit notice was jointly signed by planning officer in charge and chief planning officer of the FCDA.

Also on the quit notice written in bold, red ink were side comments by the FCDA to the court authorities to the effect that the court activities are not permitted in residential areas of the FCT.

The permanent headquarters of the Federal High Court of Nigeria is currently under construction but its temporary site located on Plot 480, of the OAU Quarters, Cadastral Zone A6, which FCDA is threatening to pull down, was formally allocated to the court authorities during the tenure of former FCDA Chairman, Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd).

The court did not move into the allocated premises until 2004.

The court's Deputy Chief Registrar, Mr. Ayoola, who was unwilling to speak officially on the matter, however, said that yesterday was the first time FCDA would issue such a quit notice on the court's authorities and that he would not know why.

His words: "The Chief Judge, Justice Roseline Ukeje, is around. She is aware of this development. I have told her. It is better you see her for her reaction."

But with journalists' persistent questions, Ayoola added: "Well, the residents had earlier complained about how police do harass them during hearing in all these high profile cases and we have always assured that very soon, we would move when our headquarters is completed.

"The quit notice was served on me yesterday. This place was allocated to us by the then Head of Service, then FCDA. You know, all these quarters were initially under Head of Service. This place was allocated to us during the time of Gen. Jeremiah Useni. He approved it. But I will want the CJ to react officially."

Shortly after the Deputy Chief Registrar spoke with newsmen, arrangements were made to speak with Justice Ukeje who had flown from Lagos to Abuja to hear a suit filed by Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja seeking extension of his handover date from May 29, 2007 to April 29, 2008.