The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has formally petitioned Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu to reopen the case of two dismissed officers who claimed they were fired for refusing to compromise a high-stakes criminal investigation.
The petition, authored by RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma and dated March 18, 2026, details an account of alleged corruption, whistleblower suppression, and the systematic victimisation of Shola Akano and Babatunde Glorious.
The two former officers were dismissed in 2019 after uncovering a sophisticated car theft syndicate operating across Kwara and Nasarawa States.
“This case is not merely about two individuals,” Nwanguma stated in the petition. “It is a test of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to justice, accountability, and reform. Allowing this matter to remain unresolved sends a dangerous message that truth and integrity can be punished, while misconduct is rewarded.”
The saga began in December 2018 when the duo, then serving at the Public Complaints Bureau in Kwara State, successfully tracked stolen vehicles to Keffi and identified a kingpin known as “Ajadi.”
However, the breakthrough allegedly triggered a backlash from within the Force. The petitioners claim senior officers pressured them to abandon the case, with inducements as high as ₦8 million offered to look the other way.
When they refused, the hunters reportedly became the hunted. Akano and Glorious were arrested, detained for 15 days, and dismissed from the Force on what they describe as fabricated charges of extortion and illegal investigation.
“The petitioners maintain that no credible complaint existed against them,” the petition reads. “Key documentary evidence was removed from case files to justify disciplinary action, despite the existence of voice recordings supporting their innocence.”
The document further alleges a “selective application of discipline,” noting that while the whistleblowers remain unemployed and discredited, the senior officers they accused of compromising the investigation have reportedly remained in service and even received promotions.
A previous investigation ordered by the Force Headquarters in 2021 reportedly found no evidence of wrongdoing by the dismissed officers; however, the findings were never made public, and no remedial action was taken.
RULAAC is now urging IGP Disu to exercise his authority under the Police Act 2020 to review the dismissal and ensure the immediate reinstatement of the officers if they are found to have been unjustly purged. The advocacy group is also calling for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the senior officers named in the initial car theft investigation.
