Ikem, in a Motion exparte brought pursuant to Order 40 rules 2008 under the inherent jurisdiction of the court and necessary sections in the 1999 constitution as amended, is also challenging the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Court to entertain the matter brought against him which is based on allegation of criminal offence. Magistrate E.E. Edodi issued the order on Wednesday, January 13, following an application by the police that a warrant of arrest be issued by the court for Ikem’s on allegations of failure to honour a court summons in a Charge No. MC/9C /2016; “Commissioner of Police versus Venatius Ikem.” In an application with registration number HC/MSC/ 2016, filed by Ikem’s counsel, Chief Utum Eteng, in the High Court of Cross River State, Holden in Calabar, Edodi and Commissioner of Police are listed as 1st and 2nd Respondents. The court papers obtained by THISDDAY indicated that the applicant was praying the court to grant the following reliefs: “An order of prohibition, prohibiting the respondents from continuing the second time of the applicant on charge No. MC/9C/ 2016 after he was tried in MC/6C/2011 on the same facts wherein the charges by the same chief magistrate court presided over then by Magistrate Okokon. “An order prohibiting, stopping, prohibiting the execution on the applicant a bench warrant irregularly obtained against the applicant on 13/1/2016 when he was allegedly served with a subpoena through a stranger who later returned the said subpoena vide an affidavit as undelivered to the applicant; “ An order quashing the entire proceedings so prohibited as the same was in clear breach of applicant’s constitutional rights to fair hearing in section 36(3) of the 1999 constitution as amended and without jurisdiction; “An order that the grant of this exparte application operate as a temporal stay of proceedings in MC/9C/ 2016 and for any order or other order as the honourable court would make in the circumstances of the application.” No date has been fixed for hearing of the application.]]>