Juliana Francis
A human rights lawyer, Giwa-Amu, has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mohammed Ali Ari, to investigate the activities of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Toyin Omosebi and Niyi Adesanya alias Alhaji White.
According to Giwa-Amu, Omosebi, and Adesanya have allegedly constituted themselves into a jury and judge over a land tussle issue domiciled at Epe axis of Lagos, an action which the lawyer opined was unlawful and contravenes Police Act and Regulations.
Giwa-Amu, in a petition, said that he was representing the Head and Principal members of Oloja Adekoya (Ofirigidi) Anikinaiya family of Erebe Ijebu.
He explained that his client told him, “That sometime between the 5th of April 2023 to the 9th of June 2023, five men led heavily armed thugs to invade his community, attacked innocent citizens, and caused destruction of property valued at over a million.”
The lawyer said that the five men were accompanied by over 40 thugs, who were armed with guns, which by law are prohibited.
Giwa-Amu said he decided to visit the community and was shocked to discover that it has become a ghost town, with many residents leaving the community and others hiding behind closed doors as they feared for their lives.
He stated that his client had lodged a complaint at Ketu Police Station and Area N Command in the Ikorodu area of Lagos. But the suspects also made counter complaints at Zone 2, which the lawyer believed cumulated in the truncating of the police investigation at Area N Command.
He further alleged that the men and thugs to date have continued to carry out destruction to farmlands and threaten lives.
Giwa-Amu said: “In a dangerous twist, DSP Toyin Omosebi led some policemen to our client’s site and land at Erebe Ijebu, ostensibly under the guise of police investigation, shooting sporadically, injuring innocent persons and proceeded to arrest some farmers, hunters and local vigilante guards and then charged them to Magistrate Court of Lagos Bode Thomas after keeping them in custody for over a week.”
He also alleged that Omosebi and Adesanya proceeded to employ a surveyor to start demarcating the said land unlawfully.
He added: “On Sunday 17th of July, at about 5:58 am, the said Omosebi led 16 men to invade the house of our clients, Oloja Olawunmi Samuel, shooting, but for the timely intervention of neighbours, who raised the alarm, causing Omosebi and Adesanya to flee with their gang of invaders.”
The lawyer claimed that to date, Omosebi has laid siege to the house of his client, causing family members trauma as they worried and feared being kidnapped by policemen under the guise of criminal investigations.
He, therefore, urged the IGP, the PSC chairman, and the AIG to carry out a thorough investigation of the allegations raised and to ensure justice was done.
Our reporter contacted the Zone 2 Police Command spokesperson, Hauwa Idris-Adamu, to get the fact of the case and to hear the police reaction to the allegations levelled against Omosebi and Adesanya, but she did not respond to questions sent to her WhatsApp, SMS, or picked her calls.
