A High Court in Tamale has ordered the Northern Regional Police Command to assist in the enforcement of a court ruling against the Ambariya Islamic Institute.
The High Court on January 30, 2023, presided over by Justice Richard Kugyapwah, ruled in favour of the Technical University College, asking that the Ambariya Islamic Institute vacates with immediate effect their illegal occupation of the structures of the University College.
The Court had also found four members of the Islamic Institute guilty of contempt for organizing and leading a mob, in April of 2022, to attack the staff and students and forcibly occupy the school properties.
Justice Richard Kujagba ruled that the occupation of the university’s property by the Islamic institute had no basis in law; hence Ambariya must vacate the premises pending the outcome of the substantive case of a land dispute between the two institutions.
The Ambariya Institute has, however, refused to abide by the court’s ruling and continued to illegally occupy the university’s structures with impunity.
This compelled the Principal of the school to apply a motion exparte filed on March 7, for an order of police assistance to compel the Ambariya Islamic Institute to vacate the premises of the University College.
Justice Richard Kugyapaw on March 8 ruled in favour of the applicant, ordering the police command to assist in enforcing his ruling.
“It is hereby ordered that the Regional Police Command assists in the enforcement of a lawful order of the court which was procured in furtherance of the lawful and peaceful execution of an order of the court,” the judge ordered in a document released and signed by the Court Registrar, Mohammed Musah.
It’s been almost a week since the court made this special request to the police. JoyNews checks however found the police are struggling to enforce the court’s order.
Attempts for comments from the police were unsuccessful.
The Ambariya Islamic Institute was also unavailable to comment.