Abuja High Court Rescinds Arrest Warrant For PDP Factional Chairman Kabiru Turaki Following Voluntary Judicial Appearance

Justice Peter Kekemeke vacated the arrest warrant for Kabiru Turaki after the PDP leader appeared in court. Arraignment is now set for April 22.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 1, 2026, 9:17 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Daily Nigerian

Judicial Leniency Following Voluntary Court Attendance

An Abuja High Court has formally vacated a bench warrant previously issued for the arrest of Kabiru Turaki, a factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party. Justice Peter Kekemeke rescinded the order on Wednesday during a session where Turaki appeared in person to address the court. The warrant had been issued on March 26 after the defendant failed to attend a scheduled hearing for his arraignment. By appearing before the warrant was executed, the defense successfully argued for a pardon based on the defendant’s willingness to cooperate with the judicial process.

Legal Defense Cites Unintentional Absence

Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate representing Turaki, offered a formal apology to the court for the previous non-appearance of both the counsel and the client. Uche explained that his absence on the last date was due to being out of the country and noted that he had traveled directly to the court upon his return. The defense emphasized that Turaki, as a fellow Senior Advocate, maintains the highest regard for the judiciary and that the lapse was not a deliberate act of disrespect. Consequently, the defense withdrew a motion that had been filed to stay the execution of the arrest warrant.

Prosecutorial Consent to Procedural Normalization

The prosecution, led by Usman Rabiu, did not oppose the application to vacate the arrest order. Rabiu informed the court that the primary intent of the bench warrant was to compel the defendant’s attendance, an objective that was satisfied by Turaki’s presence in the courtroom. While the prosecution expressed readiness to proceed with a formal arraignment immediately, they deferred to the court's discretion regarding the schedule. This consensus between the defense and prosecution allowed the judge to move forward with updating the trial timeline without further punitive measures against the defendant.