A
litigant, Mallam Musa Walkatu, caused a stir in Abuja on Tuesday when
he climbed to the top of a telecom mast at the premises of the Federal
High Court along Shehu Shagari Way.
He spent about three hours on the mast
before he was persuaded to come down by security personnel and officials
of the National Emergency Management Agency.
The middle-aged man, who was dressed in a cream kaftan,
initially vowed not to come down until the Acting Inspector-General of
Police, Mohammed Abubakar, or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar came
to dialogue with him.
Walkatu, an indigene of Adamawa State,
was said to be a litigant and had visited a courtroom on the third floor
of the FHC complex. He allegedly complained to the staff about the slow
pace of his suit which was being heard by the court.
Court officials, however, explained that
Walkatu’s case was not making any progress because he did not have a
lawyer to handle the suit.
Walkatu left the courtroom shortly and
then climbed the mast, ignoring entreaties made to him to come down by
court officials, NEMA staff and policemen.
A court worker said, “When we pleaded
with him to come down, the man refused, saying he would have taken his
protest to the National Assembly complex but there was no mast there.”
His action attracted crowds of
onlookers. Motorists stopped to look at him, causing slight traffic
hold-up. Staff of a private security firm, Kings Guards, who were in
charge of the court premises could not explain how Walkatu climbed the
mast.
The security officials started planning how to rescue him from the mast without loss of live.
They brought an ambulance and a fire engine to the court premises.
But NEMA official told the middle-aged man that the IG had come, insisting that Walkatu must come down to discuss with him.
On hearing this, Walkaku came down. He
was allowed ro rest for a few minutes before he was taken away by
policemen from the FCT Police Command.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, said Walkatu was not arrested.
He added that he would simply be asked
to explain the reason for his action, saying his statement would help
the police in their investigation.
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