Court Matter: Call Alagbon Police Officers to order, Rights group tells IGP, PSC, NPC, NHRC

…. Don’t drag AIG FCID name into mud

A human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP),Police Service Commission (PSC), Nigeria Police Council(NPC), and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to call the officers of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon,Ikoyi, Lagos State to order over illegal intervention into the Court matter on the property belonging to the family of late Alhaji Busari Apata of Mokola area,Ibadan in Oyo State.

The group stated that the call became imperative for police to hand off of any matter that was before the court of competent jurisdiction in the land, saying that for Police Officers who knew the position of the law to be
using the name of the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP)in charge of FCID,Lagos to be dabbling into the Court matter,was tantamount to contempt of the court.

It was trite principle of the judicial process in Nigeria that when any matter was before the Court of competent jurisdiction,all the parties including security agents in the matter should maintain status quo, pending the determination of the matter by the Court.

Speaking on the matter through a signed statement by the CHRSJ’S Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman and copies were made available to newsmen on Tuesday, urged the affected Police Officers from FCID Alagbon to restrain themselves from the said matter.

Reacting to the invitation letter dated 12th August,2020, inviting one Pastor Michael Olatunbosun Apata of Light House Church,Shamanda, Ibadan on the same matter before the Oyo State High Court of Justice,Ibadan Judicial Division with suit no:-I/563/2018.

Comrade Sulaiman who stressed that CHRSJ would soon report the officers who were poking fingers into the eyes of the Court by detailing the whole saga sorrounding the said property and forwarded to the office of the IGP, authority of the Police Service Commission (PSC),Nigeria Police Council (NPC) and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in order to safe the Force from unnecessary litigations from citizens which the Force used to bear the brunt of payment.

He urged the police authority to respect the rule of fair hearing in any Court of Competent jurisdiction as stipulated by section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

According to the Letter of Invitation forwarded to Micheal O. Apata, and signed by ACP. Rasheed O. Lawal in charge of Administration for Assistant Inspector General of Police,FCID Annex.

The Letter read thus, “This office is Investigating a case reported to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) FCID Annex Lagos,in which the need to obtain certain clarification from you has become imperative.

“In view of the above,you are kindly requested to come for interview with the undersigned through ASP. Yakubu Mohammed on Wednesday 26th August,2020 by 0900hrs at FCID Annex, Alagbon close,Ikoyi, Lagos.

“This invitation is compelled by urgent law enforcement as provided for in Section 53(a) Administration of (Criminal) Justice Act 2015

Sulaiman who doubles as Convener,Save Lagos Group (SLG), therefore, explained that no law is gargantuan than the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which maintained that any matter before the court of law should not be prejudiced and any law contravened the position of the Constitution should be seen as null and void.

Signed:

Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman,
(Revolutionary Alfa),
Executive Chairman CHRSJ,
+2348038591504/+2348022697573.