A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The order was delivered on Thursday, March 26, 2026, by Justice Peter Kekemeke after Turaki, who served as the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs between 2013 and 2015, failed to appear in court for his arraignment.
Turaki is facing a one-count criminal charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) alleging that he provided false information in a 2022 petition.
According to the charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/647/25, Turaki allegedly gave misleading information to the police in a petition dated October 5, 2022, which was signed on his personal letterhead.
The prosecution claims the false information was intended to cause injury or annoyance to a specific individual, an offense punishable under Section 140 of the Penal Code Law.
During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Usman Rabiu urged the court to invoke Section 396(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
He argued that since the defendant had been duly served with both the charge and a hearing notice but failed to provide any justification for his absence, an arrest warrant was necessary to compel his attendance.
