A businessman, Musa Saliu, has taken legal action against the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, by filing a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to The PUNCH, Saliu alleged that he was falsely declared a wanted person in connection to a land dispute.
The lawsuit, filed on Friday, June 14, 2024, was detailed in documents obtainedon Sunday.
Represented by his lawyer, Femi Motojesi Esq, Saliu seeks a court declaration that the police’s publication of his photo and name in the Special Police Gazette bulletin under Ref No: CB: 3510/LX/FHQ/SEB/ABJ/T.7/Vo. 1/20 constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights.
The suit, marked CV/2839/24, lists the Inspector-General of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, and Funmilola Olorunfemi as the first to third respondents.
Saliu, in the suit, contended that the police lacked the powers “to engage in the act of debt recovery for the third respondent (Olorunfemi) who is a subscriber to the applicant’s (Saliu’s) estate under construction.”
Saliu, a politician and former New Nigeria Peoples Party governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Kogi State, explained that the dispute began after Olorunfemi paid N25 million for a house in his estate, which was later demolished by the FCT Department of Development Control, halting construction.
Despite notifying subscribers that efforts were being made to resolve the issue and resume construction, Olorunfemi involved the police to recover her money.
In the fundamental rights enforcement suit, Saliu criticized the police’s actions, invoking Sections 34, 35, 41, and 46, and Articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights Cap 10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He requests the court to order the police to issue an apology, published in the Special Police Gazette bulletin and two national newspapers.
Saliu contends that the dispute is civil, lacking any criminal element, thus the police’s involvement, including summoning him for questioning, freezing his bank account, and declaring him wanted, was unjustified.
He demands N500 million in damages for the violation of his constitutional rights to privacy, dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of movement.
Saliu also seeks an order to unfreeze the account number 1000129689 with Globus Bank belonging to Emperor City Integrated Limited, where he is the signatory, citing the action as a violation of his fundamental rights.
No hearing date has been set. As of this report, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, has not responded to requests for comment.
