Lagos Community Leader, Relatives File Suit Against IGP Over Intimidation

A Lagos assemblage leader, Chief Busari Abatan Adeleye, alongside 2 members of his family, has instituted a N50 cardinal cardinal rights enforcement suit against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Commissioner of Police, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Lagos Annex, Akanniyene Ezima, implicit alleged harassment, intimidation, and unlawful arrest.

Chief Adeleye, who is the Baale of Adeleye Opeki Community successful Abesan, Ipaja, Lagos, filed the suit astatine the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja. The household members – Taiwo Adeleye and Akinola Akeem Adeleye – are co-applicants, portion Egonte Chukwuma Onyema is joined arsenic the 3rd respondent.

The applicants are asking the tribunal to state their apprehension and detention betwixt September 15 and 16, allegedly instigated by Onyema, arsenic a gross usurpation of their cardinal rights to liberty, dignity, and property, arsenic guaranteed nether Sections 35, 36, and 44 of the 1999 Constitution.

They besides urged the tribunal to clasp that their apprehension implicit allegations of trespass, wrongful execution of judgment, and malicious harm was unconstitutional, and that constabulary actions, allegedly carried retired astatine the behest of Onyema, amounted to maltreatment of powerfulness and unlawful interference with their rights.

In summation to restraining orders to halt further arrests oregon harassment, the applicants are seeking N50 cardinal successful wide damages and N5 cardinal successful aggravated damages against the respondents for breaching their rights.

In a 31-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Taiwo Adeleye, the applicants stated that their household are the customary owners of the Opeki Village onshore successful Abesan, Lagos.

He averred that their assertion was reaffirmed by a judgement of the Lagos State High Court delivered connected July 7, 2022, by Justice O.A. Taiwo successful suit No: ID/1495/2010, Alhaji Sule Ajibade & Ors v. Hajia Rauf Ajala & Ors.

Taiwo further averred that contempt being privy to the judgment, Onyema has repeatedly instigated the constabulary to interfere unlawfully with their rights and to forcefully re-enter the disputed land.

The affidavit revealed that the onshore quality had been the taxable of civilian litigation involving the applicants and 1 Andrew Egonte (the 3rd respondent’s father). Court processes, including the writ of summons and proceeding notices, were duly served connected Egonte arsenic acold backmost arsenic May 2011, but his counsel failed to record immoderate defence, starring to judgement successful favour of the applicants.

So far, the respondents – IGP, Ezima, and Onyema – person not filed immoderate defence, and nary proceeding day has been fixed by the court.