An FCT High Court in Maitama yesterday granted the Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo till Tuesday September 7, 2010, to comply with the court orders served him over the alleged unlawful detention of two Police Corporals or risk further action by the court.

The court had on Monday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Onovo for contempt of court orders following his disobedience along with two subordinates: Commissioner of Police in-charge of special Investigation Unit (SIU) and Audu Abel, a Chief Superintendent of Police to four different court orders for the bail of Police Corporal Onyebuchi Eze, who is diagnosed of acute appendicitis, for surgery.

Eze is being held since October, 2009 along with Corporal Kenneth Chikwe and one Austin Duru for alleged kidnap of an unknown victim.

Applying for time extension, Barr Henry Njoku, a Chief Superintendent of Police, who represented Onovo in court, said the failure to comply with the court orders was due to communication gap.

He argued that Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution conferred right to fair hearing on Nigerian citizens including the Police.

But counsel representing the International Human Rights Initiative on behalf of Corporal Onyebuchi Eze, Asekomu Oteiku, said there was sufficient notice to the Police and urged the court to discountenance the application for extension of time in order to protect the sanctity of the judiciary and respect for Rule of Law.

While granting the extension, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi said there was sufficient record of service of court processes on the Inspector General of Police.