A retired Nigeria Customs Service officer, Akeem Sanyaolu, has raised the alarm over alleged harassment and illegal seizure of property by officers of the Nigeria Police Pressure from the Zone 2 headquarters protecting Lagos and Ogun states.
Sanyaolu who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Monday stated he was on a visit exterior Lagos on February 5, 2020, when his spouse known as to inform him that some cops had forcefully entered his premises.
He alleged that the officers went straight to the place he parked his three Ford caravan buses and drove them away.
In accordance with him, the officers who additionally carted away some paperwork from his dwelling, carried out the operation with no warrant or court docket order.
He stated, “On the fifth day of February 2020, my spouse known as me and knowledgeable me that some officers of the Nigeria police pressure had been in my home at Ojuore in Sango Ota, transferring my three buses (Ford caravans) and a few vital paperwork and objects from the home, claiming that they had been stolen objects from Tincan Port and that one Inspector Ola dropped his cellphone quantity.
“I later found that it was the police from the Zone 2 Command, who had compelled their manner into my home with none warrant or court docket order and had taken away the three buses and a few vital paperwork and objects. These are objects I legitimately paid for with my hard-earned cash. I known as the stated Inspector Ola a number of instances however he refused to select up my calls.”
Sanyaolu stated a number of efforts to recuperate his properties proved abortive after which he lodged a grievance to the Inspector Basic of Police by his solicitor on August 4, 2022.
In accordance with him, this led to an investigation into the matter by the workplace of the Assistant Inspector Basic of Police Zone 2 Command headquarters in Lagos.
“Sadly, there was to be no progress on the matter because the case file was not given consideration. This made me write an software by one other agency of solicitors in Lagos on Might 28, 2024, requesting the switch of the case file from DSP Idris and his workforce to OCZEB to allow them to conclude their investigation.
“The OCZEB and his workforce have been calm of their conduct however he led me and my agent to at least one ASP Felix’s workplace additionally in that very same Zone 2. I used to be embarrassed and humiliated by the utterances of the stated ASP who began calling me ‘a thief’ saying that was how I had been doing. They’ll give him a container to clear and he’ll steal them.”
Displeased by the utterance, Sanyaolu stated this led to a proper demand that the ASP ought to retract the alleged defamatory assertion towards him.
He added that the police claimed they had been performing on a petition towards him however failed to supply a replica of the petition.
In accordance with him, the three Ford caravan buses and different seized objects remained unreleased 4 years later, regardless of his repeated efforts to recuperate them.
“The officers accountable for my case file at Zone 2 have continued to suppress my efforts to recuperate the automobiles regardless of my final letter to the AIG, Zone 2 Onikan on June 3, 2024,” he added.
When contacted, the spokesperson for Zone 2, Ayuba Umma, stated she would make her findings on the allegations.
“I’ll make findings and get again to you,” she stated. She was not capable of get again to our correspondent after some time as of the time of submitting this report.